We spend a lot of time and energy taking care of our physical body. It’s important to eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. But we don’t spend enough time taking care of our soul. We don’t realize how much our emotions, our attitudes, and our thoughts are affecting us physically. The Scripture says, “I wish above all things that you prosper and are in good health, even as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). This links our physical health to our soul health. If our soul is unhealthy, it’s going to spill over into the physical and ultimately make us sick.
I’ve read that 90 percent of all visits to a primary care physician are stress-related. If you’re living worried, bitter, guilty, and angry, those negative emotions are not just damaging your relationships, your creativity, and how productive you are. All that negative energy poisons your soul and weakens your immune system’s ability to fight off sickness. You lie in bed worrying about your finances all night, can’t sleep, then wonder why you have no energy, your blood pressure is high, you can’t digest your food, and you have constant headaches. It might be related to unforgiveness and bitterness over what someone did years ago. You can’t take in all those toxins and not be poisoned. If you get your soul healthy, if you quit letting the negative emotions rule, then many of the physical ailments will go away. It’s all interconnected.
Proverb 4:23 says, “Guard your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life.” One of our main responsibilities is to keep the toxins out. You can’t stop offenses, disappointments, hurts, jealousy, or anger from coming. The question is: Are you going to let those negatives take root, get down in your spirit, contaminate your joy, take your energy, and open you up to sickness, trouble, and defeat? No, keep your soul healthy. You have to be an active gardener and make sure “that no root of bitterness springs up and many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). Pull up those roots of anger, unforgiveness, insecurity, guilt, and condemnation. Don’t let your soul become poisoned. If your soul is bitter, your life will be bitter. If your emotional well-being is contaminated, it’s going to affect your physical well-being.
Today, I’m asking you to look inside. Is your soul healthy? Are you positive, hopeful, and grateful, or are you weighed down with stress, burdens, and worry? It’s time to get your soul healthy. Don’t just try to deal with the symptoms. Pull up the bitter roots. Start turning things over to God. Release the worry, the hurt, and what didn’t work out. Live from a place of trust and keep guarding your heart. That’s how you keep your soul healthy.