How do you pay attention to your soul?

August 16, 2024

Maria Joshua 23, Loving God, Psalm 131, Soul Care, Soul growth , , , , , , 1 Comment

….Take good care in your souls to be in awe of LORD JEHOVAH your God !Joshua 23:11 Aramaic Bible in Plain English

As a counselor and translator for Hispanic women at Huntsville’s pregnancy resource center, I stood in the small room where a young mom from Guatemala and the father of her baby were viewing on a screen their unborn child for the first time.  The Mom was about 17 weeks along in her pregnancy.  The couple had a little girl with them, a three-year-old named Diana.

I always think of a child of three as the weaned child described in the Psalm who has quieted himself.  You know, that little one who doesn’t want anything from Mom but to be as close to her as possible.

But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Psalm 131:2 NIV

This little girl was anything but calm.  She positively shrieked from time to time. Her rigid stance while steadily projecting a piercing, prolonged cry seemed not to disturb her parents. It unsettled me for sure, as well as Olivia the nurse scanning the mom.

I surmised that maybe in these early years of her life, ‘Mom’ had not safely provided for little Diana in a calm way. It’s hard to learn how to calm your soul if you haven’t ever felt loved and secure.

I sat down next to her and rubbed her back, trying to reassure her.  Next, I prayed in English over her, talking to Jesus. ‘Dad’ was sitting on a stool next to where the little girl’s mom lay.  I found it hard to get an answer to my questions in Spanish. “Did she not sleep last night?  Is she hungry?”  He smiled, but remained disengaged. Their only ‘tool’ was to hand over one of their iPhones to distract her.  It played nothing but raucous K-Pop at too-high-a-decibel level.

I’d shriek too, if I was fed that noise.

Before Joshua died, he pointed to God’s goodness in making good on all his promises to the Hebrews. Then he warned the 12 tribes to prioritize loving God above all else. How were they to do that?

By paying attention or guarding their souls with all their vehemence or strength.  Almost violently, so the Hebrew wording goes, feeling almost over the top.  Some translations choose ‘diligently’ to translate ‘good heed’ or mehode in Hebrew. But that sounds polite, even respectful.  In reality the Hebrew describes an effort that is: forceful, with intensity, with all measure of strength, using one’s utmost capacity. Think Olympic athletes.

We’re talking about loving God.  Why would that much effort be required?  Because our souls are wanderers, looking for something new, better or different. And if you’ve read much in the Old Testament, you can understand why God through Moses and Joshua kept repeating the same admonitions. 

I’m no different.  My passions sometimes overtake my interest in God. I tend to ‘geek out’ learning about alternative health remedies and acquiring languages.

Not bad pursuits in themselves, but they compete for my attention. They shift it away from eternal matters, like tending my soul and kindling more love for God.

I’m taking to heart this morning’s warning in Joshua.  I DO know what peace and comfort and contentment feel like.  More information or more progress in languages and health won’t provide ultimate things.  But God’s word and the life-pictures he provides encourage me to keep going back to ‘the one thing’ that is important. That I love the Lord, my God with all my heart and soul.  In his strength!

Do you have one short, compelling Gospel message?

December 9, 2023

Maria Gospel, Jeremiah 31, John 4, Uncategorized , , , 2 Comments

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 NASB 1995

I listened to a podcast conversation the other day about how to communicate more effectively. The interviewee’s top suggestion was to narrow your talk, your writing, your class lesson to one main point.  This should be a pre-determined ‘takeaway’ you want your audience to retain. Of course, you would build up and out from there.  But knowing the compelling ‘what or action step’ should be your first step.

Too often, having listened to a speaker or read an essay or a book, I find I can’t adequately share its impact. I default to telling a friend, ‘I can’t really put it into words, but it was really good, what she said/wrote. And I think you’ll enjoy it.’

This public speaking coach gave an example of the point she wanted an audience to recall after a talk she delivered on managing one’s fears at a corporate emotional wellness conference.  Her takeaway was something like, ‘With fear, do it anyway.’

So, what was MY takeaway from listening to this podcast conversation on how to become a better communicator?  That I need to come up with a simple takeaway that I can use over and over each time I share the gospel.

As we encounter people in our day-to-day life, God gives us occasions to offer something good, true and life-giving about him. For example, when I volunteer at our city’s pregnancy resource center, my role as a counselor is both to share the gospel and help and support a woman or a couple with their decisions about the life of their baby.  I always pray beforehand, that the Lord would lead me to say, to communicate just what that woman or couple need to hear.  I don’t use a ‘canned’ gospel question or presentation.  I actually think they can be a turn off to people.

But reflecting on what is the one takeaway I want everyone I meet to know about God is this. That,

  • God knows you through and through (since he formed you) and that
  • (from the verse above) He has loved you with an everlasting love and is drawing you to himself with lovingkindness.

Don’t we all long to have someone in our life who knows all about us, the absolute worst? AND still loves us?  Is that not the desperate cry of the human heart?  If you doubt this, consider the Samaritan woman at the well. Read her engaging and bold message proclaimed enthusiastically to her entire village. Without shame:

“Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?” John 4:29 NASB

So, what is YOUR simple gospel message you can easily share.  It has to be something that YOU, yourself, won’t forget. 

Mine is: God knows you through and through and has loved you forever.