How Is Your Soul Doing?
// June 22nd, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Weekly review
How is your soul doing? Let’s start asking this question of ourselves and each other at least once a week. The soul is easy to ignore because it’s not visible to us. But the soul really governs our lives. Our inner life determines our outer life.
A Little History:
Many Methodists group members of their congregations into nurture / fellowship groups called classes. The main goal of the class to discern how each member is growing in their life with Christ and in relationship with others. This is a time of close examination, deep reflection, and passionate conversation. This weekly meetings provide inspiration and, when necessary, serious correction.
The ‘Class Meeting’ is very old and some have long abandoned the practice. The demands of modern life seem to make such an idea impractical. Moreover, folk don’t want others so intimately acquainted with their ‘business.’ However, there is no denying that regular examination of our inner life and how it affects our outer life is vitally important.
Practice
Let’s start with these questions (we can refine them on the journey):
- How is your soul doing?
- How are you progressing in the life of faith?
- What have you learned about yourself? Is what you’ve learned about yourself something to keep and emphasize or something to get rid of?
- Have you read and studied and absorbed meaning from the Bible?
- Have you put what you’ve learned into practice?
- How much time have you spent with God? Have you been in constant conversation?
- Are you feeling guilty about anything?
- Have you treated your family, friends and your neighbors right?
- What has made you happy?
- How are you doing on the love and laughter meter? Laughing much?
- How much have you been putting in your love bank?
- Are you giving love abundantly?
- How have you been a blessing to others?
- Is there anyone, including yourself, you need to forgive?
- Do you need to ask forgiveness of anyone for something you’ve done or left undone?
- Are you working to mark your corner of the world a better place?
- Are you making time to be quiet and still each day?
- Is your faith growing?
- Are you paying attention to what voice you’re listening to?
- Are you in a happy place? If not, can you do anything about it?
- Do you have peace? Joy? Love?
- What have you done for YOU lately?
"How is your soul doing?" is a question we should ask ourselves regularly. It would be even more wonderful to get together with someone who is growing in the faith for mutual encouragement and accountability. God is bound to show up when a couple of people get together to pursue a closer relationship with Him and each other.
Maybe our schedules are not conducive to such a practice but the demands of life make this regular examination necessary. But more than this, our relationship with God and His people grow stronger and stronger when set our intentions on Him.
So, leave a commment and tell me, how is your soul doing?
