"How Is Your Soul?

“You know, at the end of the day, when you close the door, and you're all alone... And you strip off your armor and lower your guard and peel away the mask... When there's nobody watching and nothing to hide... And you no longer need to be strong or clever or pretty or brave... There's just you. That's it. That's the soul.” ― Dylan Horrocks, Batgirl (2000-2006)
It’s that time of the year again! In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Season, I find myself in deep reflection of the year just lived. Twelve months, like the blink of an eye, and the calendar year is complete for 2025.  A New Year is on the horizon, bringing expectation and hope; however, reflection takes its rightful spot in the calendar season, right in the middle of the Advent Season. John Wesley would ask the question before small group meetings, “How is it with your soul?”

The question would prompt reflection and require an examination of the heart, mind, soul, and strength. Examination of the soul invites the “true light” of Christ to illuminate all the areas of our life where we have succumbed to patterns that have touched the deepest parts of our being. Maybe we have believed a lie that impacts our ability to move forward in grace? Or have we allowed hatred or discord to take root in our hearts? Have we been trying to control outcomes instead of trusting that, regardless of situations and circumstances, God walks with us! Examination often brings us to the painful truth that comes when the “true light” of Christ illuminates the areas of lack in our lives. Areas where we have become complacent, lazy, undisciplined, controlling, fearful,.....the list goes on.....!

This picture reminds me of a very challenging season in my life. Oh, but there is joy in this picture! In the midst of what appeared to be a life unraveling, my soul was being fed and nurtured in a mighty way! A season that could have devastated me became a season of incredible growth; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When my world was unraveling, I became disciplined in what I could. I spent time in God’s Word daily, and I prayed and spoke to Him throughout the day. I went to the gym, even when I didn’t want to. I made choices with my nutrition that did not benefit the moment, but fueled the momentum of a healthy lifestyle. I moved beyond small talk and little thinking, and I pursued the very presence and pruning of the Holy Spirit in my life. I set aside the situations and circumstances that could have paralyzed my spirit and kept my soul in chronic suffering. I pursued a relationship with a God that knows my name, holds my future, and tends to my very being, the deepest part of life, my soul. And that made all the difference!

The soul, as Dylan Horrocks describes it in Batgirl, is the place where striving ends and being begins. From a spiritual perspective, that unguarded place is also where God meets us most intimately.
No armor is required. 
No mask is necessary. 
God doesn’t ask us to arrive polished and perfect, only open in humility, seeking truth and grace, and willing to listen.
Who are you when the door is closed, and you no longer have to prove anything?
That place where it’s just you and Jesus:
It's not something to fix.
It’s something to tend.
It’s where healing begins.
It’s where prayer becomes real.
It’s where love is received.
It’s where our heart, mind, soul, and strength are restored - daily!
It’s where transformation takes place, and the True Light of Jesus guides the way!

The greatest question we can ask ourselves is “How is it with your soul?”

Now that is a question to take into a New Year!