“So it appears that amputation of the soul isn’t just a simple surgical job, like having your appendix out. The wound tends to go septic.” ~ George Orwell
Have you ever experienced soul ache? Have you ever said, “my soul aches for you?” What is soul ache? Is soul ache even real? To tackle such challenging questions of soul ache, we must first ask ourselves, “what is the soul?” C.S. Lewis says, “we don’t have a soul; we are a soul.” The Bible teaches us that human beings are three parts spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23 – CEB). The soul is only one of three parts of the human framework. The soul itself is three separate parts: mind, will, and emotion. How do we know this? Once again, Scripture is our friend and our point of reference.
Our Mind
(Proverbs 2:10 – NRSV) teaches us that our mind is part of the soul. Knowledge grows from the mind, and the mind is part of the soul. (Proverbs 19:21,24:14 – NRSV) both connect the mind to the soul. (Psalm 139:14 – NKJV) also validates that our minds are part of the soul.
Our Will
Our will is how we exercise choice. (Job 7:15, 6:7 – NKJV) demonstrate the decision-making features of our soul. (1 Chronicles 22:19 – NKJV) reveals that our will generates from the soul. (Numbers 30:2 – CEB) teaches us that binding is a decision birthed from the soul. The reference to binding appears eleven times in this chapter and means to bind one’s soul, or in other words, the soul decides its for itself.
Our Emotion
Our emotion is the third piece of the soul and what produces our feelings. (Song of Songs 1:7 and Psalms 42:1 – NRSV) show how sentiment rises from our soul. (2 Samuel 5:8, Psalm 107:18, Ezekiel 36:5 – NKJV) reveal how even our negative emotions find their roots in our soul. Joy erupts from the soul (Isaiah 61:10, Psalm 86:4 – NKJV). (Deuteronomy 14:26, Jeremiah 22:27 – AMP) teach us what our soul desires. (Jeremiah 44:14, Ezekiel 24:25 – AMP) provides us evidence that our emotions originate from our soul. (1 Samuel 30:6, Judges 10:16, Job 30:25 – NRSV) speak to how our soul grieves with bitterness.
These verses from Scripture contain the three parts of the soul: the mind as the top part, followed by our will and emotion. These verses demonstrate the makeup of our soul, but we are not limited to only these scriptures. If we study the entire sixty-six books of the Bible, we will discover the evidence we need to confirm that these three parts comprise all the functions of the soul.
Hopefully, by now, we better understand that humans are made in three parts, spirit, soul, and body. We should also remember that the sou houses our: mind, will, and emotion. Now that we got that out of the way, what in the world is soul ache?
Soul ache is a painful experience that is undefinable but felt by everyone?¹ We will all experience soul ache at different times throughout our lives. Soul ache is a combination of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish; it’s suffering at its deepest level. This deep suffering stems from the inevitable trials and low spots we will experience throughout our lives. The circle of life delivers both highs and lows, and we will all experience soul-sickness due to social distress or tragic, traumatic, and stressful circumstances as we journey from this life to the next.
The best news ever is we can have victory over our soul ache. Here are some practical spiritual disciplines we can employ to come out on top:
- Pray and Meditate
- Learn to change the things we can, accept the things we cannot change, and ask God for the wisdom to know the difference.
- Break the cycle; we must name it before we can claim it.
- Learn to live our lives with steadfast purpose, which is to be of maximum service to God and others.
- We must learn to take care of ourselves if we wish to serve God and others to the fullest.
You may need the assistance of others, a mentor, sponsor, pastor, guide, counselor, doctor, etc., to implement these disciplines fully. You must be willing to go to anything lengths to have victory over any deeply embedded pain in your soul, but you can and will overcome this soul-sickness if you persist.
Dear Creator of my soul, thank You for this human experience and now a spiritual one. Please help me heal from the soul-sickness I am experiencing. My soul aches and begs for relief. Please remove the barriers holding me back from hearing and liberation. Please grant me the willingness to change the things I can, accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will not mine always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
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