Inner Beauty: Body vs. Soul

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Every human being has a soul. What then is a soul? It is our inner being from which our desires, passions, and character stems from. It is an invisible part of the human life, yet it is the most important part of humanity. The soul's essence is ascribed to its immortality. It is the one aspect of humans that does not 'die' with our physical bodies at the time of death.  The soul lives beyond death. The soul is required to return to God for judgement after death. Sorrowfully enough many a people are not aware of the purpose of their soul and its eternal responsibility. 

There was a man in a bible. A rich man who did not know what to do with his plentiful harvest and bountiful resources. He decided to build greater 'barns' (storage) than he already had to store his plenteous goods. This is what he said to his soul: "soul thou has much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry" (Luke 12:16-21), and this is what God said to him "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall these things be, which thou has provided?" God pretty much told the rich man he would die that night and the goods he was so passionately storing away would not 'speak' good for him in judgment before God. He could not take those items with him in death. 

The only 'goods' that anyone can take with them to death is salvation from sin, purity of life, and deeds done through Jesus Christ. Your degrees, money, wife, husband, clothes, shoes, handbags, food, etc cannot justify you before God. Jesus Christ is your only and true justifier and lawyer when you stand before God in judgment. This is because he is the One that God gave for your cleansing from sin; and so He is the only One that God recognizes as pardoning and shielding you from eternal damnation. Have you believed on Jesus? Has your sins been confessed, cleansed and forgiven? Are you daily living a holy life? Have you been born-again? 

This rich man invested in his immortal soul with transient, temporal things! He didn't understand that his invisible soul only and effectively responds to spiritual things - godliness, holiness, and righteousness. Like this man many people live their lives passionately investing in their body - they paint their nails and lips many colors, they hang various jewelries on their bodies, and color and attach artificial hair, etc. Our bodies never seem to get enough attention. Even the degrees we have and are still attaining, our jobs, our businesses, everything is for our body and our physical wellbeing. We lavish and are so preoccupied with our bodies, but what are we really doing for our souls? Are we investing as much into our souls as we are into our bodies? 

Some will go great lengths to look physically beautiful. Others spend many hours in front of the mirror and at the beauty parlor decorating the body while the soul the essentiality of our being is ignorantly abandoned. These people are like the rich man. They think life is all about the physical. Of course one should take care of their physical body, however wisdom demands that less intense attention and scrutiny should be given to adorning and providing for our bodily and physical needs. There is a greater need that stretches far beyond this world and that requires daily special attention and that is the preparation for our soul to peacefully enter into eternity beyond this world.

The reality is that life should be all about the soul. The way we live our life on earth will determine the direction our soul will take whether toward heaven, God's eternal abode, or hell, Satan's everlasting dungeon. Are you like the rich man who invested in his soul with earthly perishable things? Your body will die and be buried one day, but your soul will have to answer to God. Your soul will face the eternal question of God "what did you do with your soul on earth"? What are you investing into your soul? No matter how diligently you take care of your body, if your soul remains in sin, and you die in that condition you will be lost forever.

Today, you can begin to invest wisely into your soul. It begins with recognizing that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior. No matter how 'good' you think you are, if Jesus has not been accepted into your soul, your soul will suffer forever after physical death. When Jesus comes into your soul He will redirect your desires, passions and character to be like His and will refine your soul day by day. His word - the bible will then become your soul's food. You will need to intake it every day as you daily eat physical food. As you intake the 'Bread of Life' your life will be beautiful, your character polished, your desires will become more godly - this is best way to wisely invest into your soul. 

"...that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good" (Proverbs 19:2). The knowledge for the soul is that Jesus has made provisions for your salvation and freedom from sin at Calvary. "...my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6) if you do not properly respond to the sacrifice of Jesus for your soul, your soul will be destroyed in the world beyond after death. Today you have been given knowledge about and for your soul. I pray you will take heed in Jesus' name.

Have a blessed weekend!
-Charity