We live in a time, when attention is held briefly and decisions are made likewise. Short-term thinking persists our world. The goose is killed for the golden eggs it has now.
But there are those among us, looking longer. Often though, the longer term thinking relates toward activity, results and "Success".
Success becomes the things we do. What is achieved, is valued. Wealth. Position. Results. Well prepared and trained children. A happy marriage. Strong friendships.
Things that are good can become the objective. Achieving takes the pole position.
So what? What's wrong with achieving? ...Nothing. If you're not achieving, scripture has harsh words for not fulfilling your stewardship responsibility with your talents, time and opportunities. But, achieving is not the ultimate end to who we are becoming. Our soul is.
Our soul, that confusing, not easily understood place in our lives that we sometimes call our conscience, our heart. The soul is who we really are. The thousands of conversations and self-chats we have through ideas, brief thoughts, thoughts of others, thoughts of ourselves, thoughts of God. No matter how transparent we are with others, our soul knows us more. Our soul is the reality of ourselves and how we see life, and therefore how we decide to be and act in life.
The soul is our core and our soul has to be cultivated. This IS the end of our lives. More than who we are when no one is looking, the soul is what is in our hearts and mind that no one else will ever be able to to fully discern. The soul is our depth. The soul contains all of our "layers" that make the whole of us.
Living for the soul, brings contentment, joy and a beautiful connection with our creator. We cultivate the soul we have by thinking as our creator thinks, by living according to his way, not just on the outside, but maybe more importantly with every thought that crosses our mind. More than how we treat others, how do we view them? Do we serve them, but secretly see ourselves as more important, more loved, more anything...seeing ourselves as better? Do we lead others and lead with excellence, but secretly and ultimately make sure we're taken care of at the end of the day? When we walk through our day and encounter countless individuals, what are the biases and perspectives of ourselves and others that we hold on to?
For some, their view of their self is an ongoing defeating self conversation where they can never be good enough, be successful enough as they compare themselves to others. This is damaging to our soul because this is a lie as well. When we connect our soul and align it with the way of our God, our perspective aligns and our heart is nourished. When our heart is nourished and our self-agenda is tossed to the side, an amazing beauty emerges from within that is indescribable though it is impossible to mistake.
We have to know the thoughts of God. We have to "take captive of every thought" and run it through the filter of the Almighty. Christ took the "actions" of the Old Testament and then made them applicable at our soul's level, through what we think and feel. If we lust, if we're in wrong anger, then we're damaging our soul. The inner thoughts matter.
I do not say any of this (or anything I ever say) as one who has conquered or as one who has figured "it" out. We are all inspired in the image of our God, but we are broken and living in a broken and beautiful world. I would submit that we are on a journey with God, toward God. He has something beautiful to say about the greatest pain we experience, the normal day to day as well as our mountain top success. God is in our soul and about our soul as well as he is about anything else. He wants to be in those thousand conversations we're having every day. Invite him into your success, your views on everything and even your sin. Let him permeate the very core of who you are, and believe that his way is better. His way gives us life, and life to the full.
This life to the full will not be judged completely from the outside, but it will transform who you are from the inner spaces that no one else will ever see.
Yes, may we chase wisdom, but may we live life from the heart and cultivate our souls by immersing our thoughts in our God.
