Spiritual growth is not achieved by the symbolic rituals or wellness and holistic therapies people offer. Nor is the soul anything about such things either. Spiritual growth and nourishing one’s soul is about so very much more. While separate things, achieving one of these things it can also help the other.
The soul is a part of us that’s buried deep within and remains hidden from all but God. It is a part of us that goes with us from life to life spent here on earth, but its state will eventually decide our fate when all our earthly lives are over. To the very observant among us, and those with discernment, the state of someone’s soul can sometimes be seen to a certain extent, but God sees it in its entirety.
Spirituality is a state of being. It is achieved by searching deep within yourself. By looking hard at who we are, what we are and how we behave. It is about correcting our faults and failings, our relationship with God, heaven and spiritual realms way above these earthly ones we now inhabit.
To grow spiritually, we need to be able to take an honest look at ourselves. Go deep inside to see what needs to be changed. We have to want to change for the better, correct all that we see that would offend our Maker if we were to stand before Him on the day of judgement when finally leaving this world.
Would all our deeds and thoughts pass the test? Would we be ashamed of our thoughts or behaviour towards all living alongside us on this planet of ours? Did we look after and be kind to people, animals, creatures, wildlife in general and all that Nature brings us? Or were we too caught up in our own needs, wants and self to even notice anything else?
The soul is something I’ve tried hard to teach about for many years, as the state of one’s soul is the most important thing about us, it’s just most people fail to recognise it is. I pray daily for the holy souls who have gone before us, but I also pray daily for the souls of the living; for those who many have already seemingly lost theirs that they might recognise this and repent, to do only good and do spiritual exercises that help them grow and nourish their souls.
We feed our minds and bodies all the time, every day and several times a day, so why are we neglecting the most important part of what we are? It’s because it’s hidden and no one can see it easily. Due to this, they forget it’s there deep inside them working hard each day storing up everything we are, do or say.
It is the state of our souls that will determine what happens to us on leaving this world. It isn’t how much money we have, how many clothes or beautiful things in our homes. It isn’t about how many holidays we take, fancy cars or anything else too many people deem important. It also isn’t what status we think we have in other people’s eyes. It is how God sees us that’s important.
He and only He is who we need to impress. It is God who sees the state of our souls. He sees beyond the words so often casually said to appear good on the surface that isn’t felt or meant inside. He sees beyond that, beyond the things done in public to make others think we’re good when we’re not.
It is never too late to start thinking of what will happen to us when we die. It is never too late to look deep inside ourselves and see what God would see if we stood before Him right this moment. See how He would judge all we’ve done or not done, said or not said.
It is also never too late to change if we need to change, to start nourishing that most forgotten place inside each of us. Forget fancy diets, going to the gym, dressing up in best clothes to impress others or the expensive holidays and television screens that look like they belong in a cinema. Instead, look deep, look at yourself and ask if you are feeding your soul and dressing it up in ways God will love to see it.
How does your soul look? How do you see it, how do others see it and most of all, how does God see it? Make today the first day of the start of your new life, your new you. Each time you prepare a meal to feed your body, ask if you’re also prepared to feed your soul too. Each time you do anything to feed your mind, try to do something that will feed your soul.
Each time you look in a mirror at how you look, imagine you can see what God sees. How we look outside is important to a certain extent obviously as it can make us feel good about ourselves or make us feel it’s not such a good day, but how we look inside is important also.
Even if the outside isn’t looking quite as you’d want it today, make sure the inside is. Make today the first day of the new you. You may not be able to see your soul, but you will definitely be able to feel the difference once it’s fed and nourished. The changes will be felt even if not seen and those changes will be seen by others too. Even if they’re not sure what looks so different about you, they’ll just know something is different.
Try it yourself and see how those changes make a difference to your everyday life and to you, to how you feel, how you live and to others around you, to strangers you come into contact with. It might not be noticeable straight away, as nothing needing to be worked on is, but keep at it and I can assure you, you’ll eventually feel a whole new person, a whole new better you and it’s this person you will want God to see when you stand before Him.
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