Healing Your Soul: Christian Self-Care

By Dr. Samuel White, III

Healing Your Soul starts with a systematic approach to understanding the soul and its ailments. Dr. White does an extraordinary job of defining spiritual sickness, the symptoms, treatment, and finally the doctors orders, which is the Word of God as the ultimate prescription or medication for healing our souls. This book lays the foundation for discovering that spiritual healing for spirit, soul, and body is available and is a gift from God.

Gwen Graddy-Dansby MD, FACP

Dr. Whites genuineness is what makes Healing Your Soul so refreshing! His honesty concerning his own need for spiritual healing creates a sacred space for the reader to be open, honest, and self-reflective. It is an invitation to trust God and experience his power in new and fresh ways!

Dr. Michael Williams, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan

Healing Your Soul encourages us to develop and covet our own personal relationship with God in order to cope with latent, sometimes blatant, and uncomfortable sins.

Grenae Dudley White PhD, LP

Healing Your Soul cuts to the core of sin, temptation, and the lack of self-care, which often plagues the fabric of most inner, ontological thinking. Dr. White shares his struggles and successes on how his meditation became his medication for the soul. This is an absolute must-read book.

Rev. Dr. Edwin H. Holmes, President of the Michigan Progressive Baptist Convention

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512727814

Dr. Samuel White, III

Harvard-trained theologian and pastor Dr. Samuel White III has written an excellent spiritual reference book to help us deal with the sins, sorrows, and temptations of the soul. Dr. White applies his Ivy League education, fifteen years as a hospice chaplain, thirty-four years of pastoral ministry, and his spiritual struggles to develop a five-step sanctification process, spiritual medications, and prescriptions for the soul. This book represents the spiritual journey of a man of God who has dedicated his life to serving Jesus Christ and humanity. He is happily married to Sandra, and they have two children, Alexandria and Samuel IV.

Book preview

Healing your

SOUL

CHRISTIAN SELF-CARE

Dr. Samuel White, III

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Copyright © 2016 Dr. Samuel White, III.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-2780-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2782-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2781-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016901187

WestBow Press rev. date: 2/26/2016

CONTENTS

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ENDORSEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1.   IS IT WELL WITH YOUR SOUL?

CHAPTER 2.   STRUGGLE OF THE SOUL

CHAPTER 3.   TEMPTATIONS OF THE SOUL

CHAPTER 4.   THE SUFFERING OF THE SOUL

CHAPTER 5.   THE HEALER OF SOULS

CHAPTER 6.   MEDICINE FOR YOUR SOUL

CHAPTER 7.   SPIRITUAL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR THE SOUL

CHAPTER 8.   BIBLICAL MEDICATIONS FOR THE SOUL

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TO

OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST

WHO HEALS OUR SOULS

PREFACE

I have a confession to make. I wrote this book because my soul needed it. In spite of the fact that I am a saved, born again believer who loves the Lord, been fully ordained, graduate of Harvard Divinity School, earned two Masters Degrees, doctorate degree and have thirty four years of pastoral experience, my soul needed healing. I still struggled with sin, temptation and the sorrows of life. I needed spiritual healing.

Ironically, I cared for the souls of others, but did not care for my own soul. For over thirty years, I had been so preoccupied with feeding Gods’ sheep that I didn’t feed my own soul. The proverb, physician heal thy self was appropriate for me. I cared for the church, my family and the needy but did not care for myself. Consequently, I became an overweight, unspiritual and undisciplined child of God.

My problem was not preaching the gospel, it was living the gospel. It was relatively easy to preach a descent sermon, minister to the people or tell them about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But it was another thing to live a sermon and practice what you preach. It was easy to talk about faith, it was another thing to live by faith and be obedient to His Word.

Unfortunately, I was guilty of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called, cheap grace which is grace without discipleship, without the cross or sacrifice. A Christian who practices cheap grace have compromised their conscience, lowered their moral standards, are led by the flesh, and don’t participate in the sanctification process.

Cheap grace had sicken my soul and robbed me of the abundant life. Truly the Lord had saved my soul, but I wasn’t sanctified or healed. I was not living up to my spiritual potential and being all I could be for Him. I lacked the spiritual discipline to be Holy as the Lord is Holy.

Moreover, I lacked the spiritual coping skills and wisdom to deal with the devils temptations. I did not know how to cope with my inner struggles and temptations. My Ivy League education had taught me pastoral counseling, homiletics, ecclesiology, epistemology, soteriology, phenomenology, and liberation theology. But it did not instruct me on how to care for my soul. I was still very ignorant about the devils devices and how to overcome temptations.

What does one do to care for their soul and make it healthy? How do you win the inner battle between the spirit and the flesh? What do you do to live a Spirit-filled, Spirit led life? How do you resist the devils temptations? What does it mean to participate in the sanctification process and live a Holy life? How do you break bad habits or end an addiction?

What do you do when your soul is sick with sorrow and suffering? How can you overcome life’s losses? How do you cope with life’s adversities and afflictions? What do you do when you find yourself surviving in a wilderness? Are there any spiritual medications for a sin sick soul? How does the Lord heal us and what is our part in the healing process? How does the Lord re-create us into His image? What could one do to become a better person and child of God?

Healing your Soul: Christian Self-Care was written to answer these questions and get a better understanding of the ways in which the Lord heals our soul. Each chapter addresses a particular issue of the soul and was written from my personal experiences.

This book is partly autobiographical in that it shares some of my spiritual journey. Names and experiences were changed to protect people’s privacy. But I have tried to record some of my successes and failures so that people can learn from them. All throughout this book, I have written my personal testimony of how the Lord healed my sin sick soul and enable me to overcome some of my obstacles.

The Lord has done and is doing a great work in me. By the time I finished writing this book, I became more spirit filled, developed a disciplined devotional life, was healed of cheap grace, overcame some of the devils temptations, strengthened my relationship with the Lord and was blessed with a new vision for my life. God is good!

I still have a lot of work to do. I am not what I should be, but I thank God that I am not what I used to be. Every day I get healthier and holier in my walk with the Lord. I am a living testimony that …He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) Praise the Lord.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I must acknowledge Jesus Christ who suffered, bled and died to save and heal our souls. I give God praise and glory for all the things that He has done. It was because of His grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, that this book was published. Any good thoughts and wisdom in this book are His and all the mistakes are mine. God deserves all the glory and praise.

It is because of Gods’ grace and love that I have been richly blessed with a fabulous family and great church. God blessed me to be raised in a family with a strong, dynamic father who pushed me to excellence, a marvelous mother who taught me self-confidence, an older brother David who mentored me, an older sister Dee Ann who helped raised me, a twin sister Cherise who endured me, a younger sister Renee’ who encouraged me and a younger brother Van who supports me.

My original family raised my soul but my present family shapes my soul. I praise God for a wonderful wife Sandra who loves me in spite of my weaknesses and imperfections. It is because of her love that I can appreciate the unconditional love God has for my soul. I am thankful for my joyful daughter Alexandria who reminds me to smile in the face of adversity. It is because of her effervescent spirit, that I am grateful of all the blessings of God. I praise God for the quiet strength of my son Samuel who reminds me that God grants grace to the humble. It is through their love, joy and grace that He heals my soul.

I am thankful for Friendship Baptist Church, where I experience the healing power of our Lord. He heals me through the love and care of the Pastors Aide and the membership. He touches my soul through the inspirational singing of our choirs and powerful preaching of our ministers. He has healed me through the various ministries of the church. The Ministerial team, Mothers ministry, My Brothers’ Keeper ministry, Deacon, Trustee, Christian Education, Missions, Usher, Cynthia Cole ministry, Manpower, Church School, Grief ministry, Culinary Ministry, Tutoring ministry, Senior ministry, Family ministry, Children’s Work, Wounded Healers and other ministries have provided opportunities for spiritual growth. Every difficult experience, delicate dilemma, challenging outreach, personal sacrifice and spiritual struggle has helped to develop my soul.

I am thankful for every professor, teacher, preacher, and Sunday school teacher, minister, hospice patient, stranger, critic and enemy who has challenged my soul. I am especially thankful for midweek bible study class that enlightened me and helped to develop this book. I want to thank God for Rev. Dr. Michael Williams, Dr. Graddy, and Rev. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Dudley for reading my manuscript, offering suggestions and writing endorsements. A special thanks to Mrs. Rainey for her hard work, gracious spirit and kind, constructive criticism in proof reading this work. You have truly blessed your pastor and consequently many who will read this book.

ENDORSEMENTS

"Dr. Samuel White, III’s genuineness is what makes Healing Your Soul: Christian Self-Care so refreshing! His honesty concerning his own need for spiritual healing creates a sacred space for the reader to be open, honest and self-reflective as the reader is invited to survey their own unique needs for spiritual healing.

It is not fashionable in this day to talk about sin yet, Dr. White does not shy away from acknowledging the power of sin that diseases the soul and has no human cure. While the book is intended to speak to the Christian, I believe this book can also speak to those who are outside the Christian faith. He invites the reader to engage the Biblical text as he shares many scripture passages throughout the book recognizing ‘Bible therapy as medicine for the soul!’

Regardless of your current circumstances, this book will speak to where you find yourself in this moment. Healing Your Soul: Christian Self-Care is an invitation to trust God and experience his power in new and fresh ways!"

Dr. Michael Williams, Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of Michigan

"The first step to any healing is to identify the illness. Followed by agreeing that healing is needed. Healing Your Soul starts with a systematic approach to understanding the soul and its ailments. Dr. White does an extraordinary job of defining ‘spiritual sickness’, the symptoms, treatment and finally the Doctors’ orders- which is God’s Word. He uses the Word of God as the ultimate prescription or medication for healing our soul. Healing Your Soul lays the foundation for discovering that spiritual healing for spirit, soul, and body is available and is a gift from God."

Gwen Graddy -Dansby MD, FACP

"A heartfelt appreciation for the struggles we all face and a prescriptive analysis on how to cope. Dr. White’s personal perspective clearly shows us that we are all susceptible to sin but failure is not final. Healing Your Soul shows us how to develop and covet our own personal relationship with God in order to cope with our latent, sometime blatant and uncomfortable sins."

Grenae Dudley White Ph.D., LP

"Healing Your Soul will challenge all of your fears. This book is efficacious in answering philosophical and theological questions about life. Healing Your Soul cuts to the core of sin, temptation and the lack of self-care which often plagues the fabric of inner ontological thinking. Dr. White shares his struggles and successes on how his meditation became his medication for his soul. Dr. White is transparent in helping teachers, preachers, counselors and parents about the guidelines of spiritual awareness. This is an absolute must read book."

Rev. Dr. Edwin H. Holmes, President Michigan Progressive Baptist Convention

INTRODUCTION

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, The masses of men live lives of quiet desperation. So many of us suffer in silence while the stress and strain of life can be seen on our faces. We run the gamut of our lives through the hazards of sickness, accident, beasts and bacteria, the malignant power of the forces of nature, and the vengeful hands of our fellow man. We are overwhelmed and over burdened by the pain, pressures and problems of life. Indwelling sin and life’s adversities take their toll on our soul. Consequently, we become nihilistic lacking hope and being full of despair. We lack peace of mind, have a broken spirit, sadness in our heart and a defeated look on our face. Our souls struggle with sin, suffering, temptation and desperately need healing.

Many people are spiritually sick and they don’t even realize it. They are not aware of the fact that sin is a spiritual sickness and can only be healed by being obedient to the Holy Physician Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many people do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ or are not obedient to His Word. Consequently, they are incapable of refraining from sin. They have becomes slaves to sin and their souls are sick with corruption.

What makes it worse is that sin has saturated every aspect of American culture and fosters our spiritual illness. There is no individual or institution that sin has not tainted. Sin has diseased our souls and society. Paul Tillich is right, There may be something in the structure of our institutions which produces illness in more and more people. It may, for instance, be that the unlimited, ruthless competition which deprives everybody of a feeling of security, makes many in our healthy nation sick; not only those who are unsuccessful in competition, but also those who are most successful. ¹

In spite of the fact that America is one of the greatest nations that ever existed, we are spiritually unhealthy. In Erich Fromm’s brilliant book, The Sane Society, he contends that our western culture and civilization has a collective neurosis in which we have learned to accept social sicknesses. ² As powerful and as prosperous as this country is we are morally bankrupt and spiritually sick. Our individual sins have produced Americas’ social pathologies:

• There are at least 10 million homeless American citizens without the basic necessities of life

• 75% of female heads of households with less than a High School diploma are living in poverty.

• The number of children living in poverty has increased by more than 50% in the last 15 years

• Over 50% of children living in poverty enter school two or three more years behind their peers.

• 25 million Americans are monthly drug users.

• 60 million victims of sexual abuse

• 60% of children in America are exposed to violence, crime or abuse

• 1 in 11 youth Internet users received a sexual solicitation

• 6,700 reported hate crimes motivated by racial bias

• 26.1 percent of all African Americans live in poverty

• 1 in 35 adults in the U.S. are under correctional supervision

• Violent crimes against the elderly increased 27 %

• 35% of women in the U.S. will experience domestic violence

• U.S. state and federal prisons held an estimated 1,574,700 inmates on December 31, 2013, an increase of 4,300 prisoners.³

These are only a few of Americas’ social pathologies. There are many depraved deeds we do that can be considered ungodly and unhealthy. Everywhere you look is evidence of America’s collective neurosis.

The wars and the innocent blood that we shed in the name of protecting our national interest is evil. We spend more money on weapons of mass destruction, than we do in caring for the poor and needy. Our warmongering, drone attacks and nuclear arms reflect our spiritual illness. Henri Nouwen states, we have become the nuclear man who is painfully aware that the same powers that enable man to create new life styles carry the potential for self-destruction. ⁴

The promulgation of money, media promotion of gross materialism, greed, casino gambling, idolatry of property, conspicuous consumerism, growing economic inequality, mass unemployment, class discrimination, ignoring the needs of the poor and needy, glorification of the rich, and robbing God of His tithe, avarice, covetousness is tantamount to worshipping Mammon. Erich Fromm says, we have become the object of blind economic forces which rule our life. We worship the work of our hands, we transform ourselves into a thing. ⁵ We are worshipping the All Mighty Dollar Bill and greed decays our souls.

The hostility toward one another, bigotry, police brutality, sex discrimination, institutional discrimination, lack of civility, bullying behavior, the misogyny, class discrimination, the growing gap between the rich and the poor is an affront to the Royal Law of love. Racism, sexism, hatred, gang violence and social apathy are symptoms of a harden heart and a shattered society. We enjoy hurting and watching each other suffer. Our souls have adapted a carnivorous psychology with a drive for pleasure and killing. ⁶

The Medias promotion of sexual promiscuity, lasciviousness, adultery, fornication, pornography, prostitution, sex slave trade, having children out of wed lock, and homosexual marriages contaminate our consciousness and demean our body which is the Temple of the Living God. The moral, legal and civic acceptance of sexually perverted lifestyles is reflective of an indisposed society.

The mass poverty, the slums and ghettos, homelessness, corrupt criminal justice system, over populated prisons, unemployment, racial injustice, economic inequity, gang violence, underground drug trade, deplorable living conditions, substandard public schools, and criminal culture all suffered by Americas permanent underclass is symptomatic of societies devastating spiritual disorder.

All of Americas’ social illness stem from our individual sins. Sin is the source of all of our social ills and it effects every aspect of American society. It ruins religion, fractures families, fosters avarice and economic exploitation, wrecks relationships, decays institutions, corrupts character, perverts justice, nourishes criminality, compromises our moral standards, disparages the bible, hardens hearts, deadens consciousness, enslaves the soul, steals our joy and robs our peace of mind.

Sin is the root to America’s political, social and economic problems. It is a universal malady that diseases the soul and has no human cure. Therefore it doesn’t matter what kind of person you are, your soul needs healing. Your race, class, gender, income, ethnicity, educational level, family background, nationality, political affiliation, religious background does not immune you from this spiritual sickness.

Our level of religious commitment does not determine the healthiness of our soul. One could be raised in the church, been baptized, know all the books of the bible, active in the ministry of the church and their soul could still be unhealthy. We might not be aware of it or want to accept it but our soul needs spiritual healing.

Our souls need to be healed of their struggle with sin, suffering and temptation. All people struggle with sin in their life. It could be the sin of alcoholism, gluttony, idolatry, sexual promiscuity, drug addiction, gambling, atheism, hatred, pride, disbelief, lawlessness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, indebtedness, lasciviousness, anger, racism, judgmental, sexism, classism, jealousy, ungodliness, selfishness, contentiousness, greed or covetousness. We all struggle with something, someone or some activity that makes us sin and fall short of the glory of God.

What is your sin, weakness or Achilles heel? What is the one thing that you would change about yourself? ⁷ Do you find yourself committing certain sins against your better judgment? Have you found it hard to break free of certain vices? Do you strongly desire to be holy but end up saying and doing the wrong thing? Do you find it extremely difficult to live right and do the right thing? Are you carrying around a lot of guilt and shame? Do your feelings or passions control you? Are you losing the spiritual battle against the flesh and not yielding to the Holy Spirit? Do have family problems or issues in your relationships? Are you having financial issues and have a lot of debt? Are you feeling sad, angry, fearful, worried, empty, anxious, hopeless and helpless? Are you struggling with an addiction? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your soul needs healing.

Our souls not only struggle with sin but also with sorrow and loss. Political, social and economic institutions and individuals oppress our souls and wound our spirits. Institutional racism, class discrimination, unemployment, underemployment, financial indebtedness, drug culture, poverty, criminal activity, sexual discrimination, economic exploitation, gang violence, social dehumanization, police brutality, daily insults and indignities all take their toll on our soul.

We lose hope in a world full of war, poverty, and death. What kind of a future can we have when innocent little children are killed in drive by shootings and teenagers are socialized to be drug dealers, thugs and social deviants? How can we have hope when the world still lives by the sword?

It is no wonder that so many of us are sad and depressed. Our souls are weary with losses in life. We walk around with frowns on our faces and anger in our hearts. We are mad at the world and cannot find any peace in it. Our souls have become bitter and despondent.

Some of us are filled with worry and anxiety. We worry about our family, finances, our city, our country and ourselves. Our troubled souls want to experience His peace that surpasses all understanding.

We need spiritual healing because we feel lost and have no purpose in life. We are just trying to survive, pay our bills, care for our families and serve our God. Some of us live from paycheck to paycheck and live bored, empty lives. Some of us live without a sense of purpose and meaning in life. We live unfulfilled lives and find ourselves experiencing frustration, anxiety, depression and other symptoms that are a facet of living an externally directed life. Our souls long for a vision that will fulfill our lives and give God glory.

Our soul needs healing because we endure what Victor Frankel called the triad of suffering which is pain, death and guilt. ⁸ It is the triad of suffering that makes us feel broken hearted, depressed, defeated, discouraged, sad, angry, worried, hopeless, or helpless.

If you are struggling with individual and institutional sin, your soul needs healing. If you have a broken heart, a crushed spirit and struggling to cope with dejection, disaster, destitution or death then your soul needs healing. If you’re not walking in the Spirit or living up to your spiritual potential, then you need spiritual healing. If you realize that you are far from perfect, then you need your soul needs healing.

There is a human tendency to ignore, neglect or reject the maladies of the soul. C.G. Jung states in spite of our conscious development we are still archaic man. ⁹ We care for the body but do not know how to care for our souls. We feed, clothe, clean, medicate, exercise and pamper our bodies while we neglect and abuse our souls. We may be in great shape physically but poor shape spiritually.

We do not realize that many of our physical illnesses stem from the sickness of the soul. Being overweight, having high blood pressure, nervous disorders, being a diabetic and even contracting cancer can stem from the problems of the soul. Plato reminds us that if the head and body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul. ¹⁰

We must care for our souls when they have become stained with sin and heavy laden with the cares of the world. It is our spiritual responsibility to do everything we can to care for our souls. We must constantly seek our Holy Physician Jesus Christ to heal us of our faults, failures and foibles.

Healing your Soul: Christian Self-Care is dedicated to every Christian who is seriously committed to Christ and wants to care for their soul. It is a spiritual reference manual that will inform us on how to cope with the struggles, suffering, sins, sorrows and temptations of the soul. If you are struggling with sin and sorrow in life than you need this book.

Moreover, this book can be helpful for the non-Christians who are searching for answers for the spiritual problems of their life. It is Gods’ will that everyone’s soul be saved and healed. Therefore Healing your Soul was written for the person who wants spiritual coping skills to care for their soul.

This spiritual reference book will help you diagnose the sicknesses of your soul and provide a spiritual prescription for healing. It instructs us on how we can work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Our Holy Physician, Jesus Christ heals us as we prayerfully address the sins, temptations and sufferings of our soul.

Healing your Soul will lead you through the sanctification process and develop your soul. It will give you the spiritual insights you need to ensure the spiritual healthiness and holiness of your soul. This divine process will make you a whole new creature in Christ Jesus and enable you to deal with life’s losses and temptations.

It will enlighten you on ways to cope with your sins and shortcomings. Its biblical perspective and practical advice will enable you to triumph over temptation and overcome your battles with the flesh.

Healing your Soul gives a word of encouragement when your soul is overwhelmed and overburdened with the odds and obstacles of life. It will help you as you face life’s problems. Your soul will be able to overcome disaster, dejection, defeat, disease and death. Whatever your spiritual problems are Healing Your Soul provides a biblical answer.

Healing Your Soul is an excellent resource for pastors, ministers, deacons, missionaries, Christian, counselors, social workers and people of good will who care for the souls of others. It instructs us on how to deal with a wide variety of spiritual problems from a spiritual perspective. This book provides spiritual medications and prescriptions that will strengthen the weak and ultimately foster healing and holiness.

Healing Your Soul is a rich resource that you can refer to again and again. It is the kind of book that you will read more than once. You can use it every time you are tempted or spiritually challenged. It will help you to overcome your concerns and provide a word of encouragement.

It is an excellent reference book that will give you comfort and counsel as you face life’s adversities. When your soul becomes sick with sorrow or sin, Healing your Soul has the Spiritual Medications and Prescriptions you need to heal your soul. This is book has an excellent index that will help you locate information about your spiritual sickness and its prescription. Moreover it will tell you how to heal your sins, sorrows and temptations.

It is my sincere prayer that Healing Your Soul will be a part of your spiritual journey and empower you to overcome your sins, sorrows and temptations. I hope that it will bring you closer to Christ, strengthen your faith and bring healing to your soul.

Chapter one is called, Is it well with your soul? In this chapter you will discover what the soul is, its needs and your responsibility to care for it. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ saves our soul but it is our spiritual responsibility to participate in the healing of our soul. The spiritual health of our soul is our primary duty in life and this chapter will enlighten you on what you must do to care for your soul.

Chapter two is entitled, The Struggles of the Soul. There is an inner struggle in all of us. The spirit wrestles against the flesh and the divine side fights the human side of us. How do we handle this inner battle and what could we do to ensure that the divine side is victorious?

The only way to win this inner battle is to participate in the Lords’ sanctification process which is Gods’ way of making our souls holy and healthy. Sanctification is a five step process that includes reflection, repentance, recommitment, renewal and re-creation. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and heals our soul that we can experience the victory over sin in our lives.

Chapter three is called, The Temptations of the Soul. The temptations Christ experienced in the wilderness are reflective of the temptations that we experience. Christ shows us how to make the right choices and overcome temptations. This chapter teaches us how to use our spiritual freedom to recognize and resist the temptations of the world and choose the paths of righteousness.

Chapter four is labeled, The Suffering of the Soul. The book of Job shows us how our souls may suffer from defeat, disaster, disease, dejection and death. Healing comes from acknowledging you are suffering and applying the word of God as a medicine for your soul. God heals us when we have faith and are obedient to His Word. The songwriter is right, Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

Chapter five is called, The Healer of Souls. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the healer of souls. The bible refers to him as Jehovah Rephkah, meaning The Lord is my healer. Our God is a healer who heals our souls through the redemptive sacrifice of His Son. The bible describes the Healer of our Souls, He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53: 3-5)

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and Healer of our souls. It is through His suffering on the cross that He saves and heals us. The bible tells us, For I will heal you. I will heal you where you have been hurt, says the Lord.(Jeremiah 30:17) Jesus will heal your broken heart, soothe your troubled mind and heal your sin-sick soul. This chapter shows you how the Lord heals us and transforms us into His image.

Chapter six is called, Medicine for the Soul, it provides information on various spiritual practices that can bring healing to the soul. Prayer therapy, Music therapy, Merry heart therapy, Praise therapy, Crucify the Flesh Therapy, Agape Therapy, Anointment Medication, Sanctification Process, Repentance/Confession and Holy Communion are all spiritual medicines for the soul. Using all of these or a combination of these spiritual practices are essential to your spiritual well-being and caring for your soul.

Chapter seven is referred to as, Spiritual Prescriptions for the Soul, it entails the various sicknesses of the soul, their symptoms and suggested spiritual medicines. The reader will be able to discover how the Lord can heal them of adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft (substance abuse), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revel lings, gluttony, indebtedness, and homosexuality and cheap grace. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Chapter eight is called Biblical Medication and it is based on the belief that the Holy Scriptures can bring healing and holiness to the soul. God’s Word is spoken of in Proverbs 4:22 as being medicine to all flesh. The Bible is the most powerful spiritual medicine available today, and it is capable of healing your soul.

This chapter is a compilation of scriptures that address the various exigencies of the soul. Having faith and meditating on the scriptures sanctifies and comforts our soul.

Healing Your Soul: Christian Self-Care, will help to change your life. You will discover that the Lord will transform you as you apply His biblical principles to your life. This book provides vital spiritual information you need to heal your spiritual pathologies and overcome your wounds.

Moreover, this spiritual workbook will enhance your relationship with Jesus Christ and you will have a closer walk with the Lord. Consequently, a weak, sick, struggling soul will become stronger, healthier and more spiritual. You will experience victory in your battles against sin, Satan and suffering. You will be able to triumph over temptation, overcome obstacles, defeat your demons and break the chains of your addiction. You will be able to say like Paul the Apostle, We are more than a conquerors through Him that loved us.

Chapter One

IS IT WELL WITH YOUR SOUL?

It is never too early, or too late to care for the well-being of our souls. Epicurus

Is it well with your soul? This is the penultimate question for every human being. Everyone must examine the healthiness of their soul. Is your soul healthy or unhealthy? Is your soul losing the struggle with sin and temptation? Is it suffering from the stresses and sorrows of life? What is the status of your soul, is it weak or strong?

When our souls are weak and unhealthy it appears symptomatically in addictions, vices, lusts and works of the flesh which become sicknesses of the soul. The soul is unhealthy when we manifest the works of the flesh, emptiness, jealousy, hubris, idolatry, alcoholism, addiction, lasciviousness, cynicism, racism, fornication, idolatry, sexism, elitism, avarice, sexual promiscuity, rage, doubt, despair, disillusionment, sadness, frustration, anger, hunger for spirituality, hatred, greed, loss of values, and vague depression.

Also our souls can be sick with sorrow. Life’s losses have a way of wounding our souls and making them unhealthy. Some end up wallowing in self-pity and unable to live the abundant life. Others fall into an abyss of anger and bitterness and lack the joy of the Lord. Some end up feeling like a prisoner behind the bars of doubt, fear and worry, incapable of pursuing life, liberty and happiness. Life’s hardships can break our spirits and wound our souls.

There are people who feel insecure or inferior, who cannot find joy in their family life, who have a hard time achieving or enjoying work, who are unusually afraid of other people. Some of them have ritualistic compulsions, phobias, and paranoid thought systems. ¹ Their souls need healing.

Spiritual emptiness is the source of a lot of neurotic problems. Many people get sick emotionally because they are troubled by the meaninglessness of their lives. Viktor Frankl’s phrase value vacuum describes the emptiness which renders many people vulnerable to anxiety and interpersonal conflict. ²

Unfortunately we try to respond to the maladies of the soul with the pleasures and treasures of the world. So many people desperately engage in substance abuse, illicit sexual fulfillment, conspicuous consumerism, gluttony, and power grabs to fulfill the emptiness of their soul. Our ignorance about the soul, its needs and how to care for it exacerbates the problem.

WHAT IS THE SOUL?

The soul is the immaterial, immortal, indispensable, invaluable life of a person. The Hebrew word "nephesh is translated as soul and it actually means a living being." ³ In Genesis 2:7 God made the body out of dust and then breathed into it and it became a soul. Origen believed that the soul was immortal and had a divine nature. ⁴

The definition of soul "psykhe in the New Testament is based on the definition found in the Old Testament. And so it is written, the first Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (I. Corinthians 15:45) ⁵ The New Testament definition of soul retains its basic Hebrew meaning. Soul refers to ones’ life. Herod sought Jesus soul (Matthew 2:20); one might save a soul or take it (Mark 3:4). Death occurs when God ‘requires your soul’ (Luke 12:20). Soul may refer to the whole person, the self: ‘three thousand souls’ were converted in Acts 2:41 (see Acts 3:23).

The Bible writers used the Hebrew word "nepesh or the Greek word psykhe" over eight hundred times in the scriptures. The word soul essentially means the life of a person. Jehovah told Moses: All the men who were hunting for your soul are dead. (Exodus 4:19) Moses enemies were seeking to take Moses life. Rachel was giving birth to her son Benjamin and her soul was going out (because Rachel died). (Genesis 35: 16-19)

Also, Jesus said, I am the good Shepard; the good Shepard surrenders his life, or soul on behalf of the sheep.(John 10:11) Jesus gave his soul or life for humanity. In these passages, the word soul clearly refers to life as a person. There are examples of this sense of soul in I. Kings 17: 17-23; Matthew 10:39; John 15:13 and Acts 20:10.

Every human being has a soul. The soul is the life, the spiritual essence of a person. We are much more than our gender, race, physical characteristics, educational qualification, sociological background, economic status, political affiliation, religious beliefs or family pedigree. We are more than our title, roles, occupation, social security number, responsibilities and relationships. We are a children of God and our soul is the essence of who we are. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience", states Kierkegaard.

As a spiritual being we have a responsibility to care for our soul. All the money and property in the world cannot come close to the value of our soul. The universe and all of its planets do not compare to the soul. There are many important causes in our life, but the most important cause is the salvation and care of our soul. All of our money, property, possessions, power, and privileges cannot compare to the pricelessness of our soul. As Jesus reminds us, What can you give in exchange for your soul?

HOW TO SAVE YOUR SOUL

The only one who can save our soul is Jesus Christ. The bible states, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) God loved you and I so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for our sins.

Jesus was crucified, punished for all of our sins, shortcomings, vices, addictions, lustfulness, wickedness, selfishness and decadence. The bible says, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed.(Isaiah 58)

Our souls are saved by the Lord. The Bible states, If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (Romans 10:9, 10) Furthermore the Bible states, The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Also the Bible records, Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) If we want our soul to be saved from death and damnation, we must repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Below are basic biblical principles we need to know to be saved.

A.B.C.D PLAN OF SALVATION

• ACKNOWLEDGE that you sin and fall short of the glory of God. Repent of your sins. The word repent means to turn away from. (Matthew 3:2 ; Acts 2:38) The first step to being saved is to repent of your sins or turn away from your sinful life.

• BELIEVE that Christ was crucified, dead, buried and rose from the dead. The Bible says, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) You have to believe that Christ suffered, bled, died on the Cross and rose from the grave. The only one who can save and heal your soul is Christ.

• CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, If thou confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God, raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (Romans 10:9,10)

• Develop your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. The Bible says, Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself.

I hope and pray that you will accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you do not know Him in the parting of your sins, you need to repent and accept Him. Do not hesitate or procrastinate this very important decision in your life. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Death is democratic and serendipitous. Death takes who it wants, when it wants and how it wants. The question is are you ready to meet your Maker? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior? If you died today, how do you know that you would go to heaven? If you want to be sure, say this prayer:

SINNERS PRAYER

Almighty God, forgive me of my sins and shortcomings. Have mercy on my soul. I repent of my sins and accept your Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord Jesus for coming into my life. Help me love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and my neighbor as myself. Amen.

This is only an example of a sinner’s prayer. Use your own words and ask Jesus Christ into your life. You will never regret your personal relationship with Him. He will not only be your Lord and Savior, He will be your best friend, counselor, confidante, companion, deliverer, healer, redeemer, advocate, and physician. I am a living testimony that Jesus Christ is a great Savior!

PERSONAL TESTIMONY

My spiritual journey began in the fall of 1979 when I first met our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was a junior at Brockport State College pursuing a political science degree to become a lawyer. I was an unsaved, unchurched hedonist experiencing what the existentialist Victor Frankel called an existential vacuum. I felt empty inside with no sense of peace and purpose in life. It did not matter how many parties I went to, girls I dated, or things I possessed, I was miserable inside.

One afternoon, I met an elderly white man on campus who gave me a small, green Gideon bible. I became a voracious reader of the bible believing that all the answers for my troubled soul were in that book. I read the bible, but I still did not know the author. I did not know God or have a personal relationship with His son Jesus Christ.

My younger sister Renee invited me to her church Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Rochester New York, where the late Rev. Williams was the Pastor. Rev. Williams was an elderly African American man who looked like Ghandi. He was a bald, short, small man who wore round glasses and a pin striped suit. He was a fiery preacher filled with the Holy Ghost and would jump when he got excited.

But what impressed me most about the worship service was the soul stirring singing of the church choir. They were small in number but their powerful voices filled the sanctuary. They sang with passion and the joy of Jesus.

One Sunday morning, while I was sitting in the back of the church with my large Afro, wearing jeans and Converse All-Star sneakers, the choir touched my soul. They sang, Hark the herald angels sing, Jesus the Light of the world. Joy to the new born King. Jesus the Light of the world. We’ll walk in the Light, beautiful light, come where the dew drops of mercy shine bright. Shine all around us by day and by night. Jesus the Light of the world. We’ll walk in the Light, beautiful light. Come where the dew drops of mercy shine bright. Shine all around us by day and by night Jesus the Light of the world.

By the time they finished the song, I was crying like a little baby. Tears were falling down my face and I was overwhelmed with His Spirit. I felt a sense of peace and joy. Our savior had saved my soul and I was born again. Praise the Lord!!

When Pastor Williams extended the invitation, I immediately wiped the tears from my eyes and walked briskly up to the front of the church.