Partnering with Peace: ABC’s of Soul Care

When we experience difficulty in our lives, it may be especially challenging to see the goodness of God. We may not realize the dizzying pace of our own lives until physical or mental health matters arrest us, forcing us to stop and take inventory of our lives.

Even when we realize that the pace of our thoughts and activity is not sustainable, we often barrel through, spinning our souls in anxiety. Instead of providing respite, our attempts to hold everything together, including ourselves, only serve to reinforce the work of fear and stress in our lives. We forfeit the peace Jesus intended for us to have.

Instead of turning our hearts to the Lord, for direction and clarity, we bow ourselves to people, pursuits, and possessions instead of the God who created us to worship Him. When we do, we abandon our esteemed place of favor and elevated position of faith.

We wear ourselves out when the Savior has only invited us to rest. This is precisely what the enemy wants. If he cannot defeat us on one front, he will attempt to exhaust and frustrate us. When our focus gets fuzzy and our hearts get weary, we don’t war with the same intensity as when our vision is clear.

Beyond what we see and feel, the Truth remains. We can actively remind ourselves of what God’s Word says. Of course, the voices of this world, the enemy, and even our own psyche may seek to bully us into believing and behaving in ways that do not reflect the soul wealth, wisdom, and rest that Christ offers. However, we always have the invitation, choice, and power to reframe our thoughts and actions to align with what is always true, no matter how contested. Sometimes, we need a little encouragement and support with this.

There are many challenges in life that we endure as believers in Christ. For those of us who experience mental challenges, the enemy often works to persuade us to identify with a disorder. We need to remember that the Lord has spoken His Word over our lives, and that truth prevails, even with difficult symptoms and life circumstances.

We can partner with the Prince of Peace to establish a reality of victory in our lives, even with the challenges that we often confront. Assessing our triggers and challenges, creating boundaries, and forming a supportive community are part of the ABCs of establishing and maintaining a rhythm of the healthier soul care that is available to us right now.

Soul Care

Choosing to abide in the peace of God carves out space for essential soul rest. Taking care of the soul is more than a day of recreation or indulgence, paid time off, or even physical sleep. We need all of those activities, as they are beneficial for refreshing our minds and bodies.

Souls require ongoing care, however, and not just an occasional escape. Without internal transformation, we are just pausing our anxiety and suspending stress, only to resume it when our time away has concluded.

When we still feel weary and burned out following typical self-care activities, our state of mind may reveal that the stress we experience is not simply situational or environmental. There may be more brewing under the surface that needs greater intervention.

Although anxiety, stress, and worry influence our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and bodies, we shift their negative impacts when we begin to implement a lifestyle of soul care and rest.

In between excursions, we can initiate and practice the discipline of receiving our daily bread. We can’t necessarily stop challenges from presenting in our lives, but we can seek God for wisdom on how to navigate each day’s issues with the grace afforded for those 24 hours. 

Assessment

It may be challenging, but we must take an honest assessment of what triggers anxiety in our lives. We may not always realize it, but sometimes the offenders are those that we have been conditioned to tolerate and repeat in our lives. The Lord is kind and will reveal and highlight areas where we need to understand our past and partner with Him for change.

When He begins to reveal activities and stimuli that cause harm, we need to follow His direction and partner with Him for the grace to remove them and displace their hold from our minds. Sometimes, we entertain thoughts that promote anxiety while denying ourselves permission to access what enhances peace and wellness.

Partnering with peace requires that we make intentional moves. While self-awareness on one’s own holds merit, we invite another dimension of soul healing, growth, and positive change when we enlist the help of a professional.

For example, learning our triggers and how to properly respond to them can be safely unpacked with a therapist. It may seem unusual to involve someone else in such a personal journey if we have never considered counseling. However, another set of objective, yet empathetic eyes can offer the necessary support to shift into greater peace and soul rest. 

Boundary

Next, it may be critical to ensure that we know what we need and set up proper boundaries to ensure that we protect and preserve the most important things. Without boundaries, we can easily lose ourselves in well-intentioned pursuits or in connections that may not necessarily align with what we value.

It is completely acceptable, and even honorable, to acknowledge that we may not have the physical bandwidth or emotional and mental resources to contribute to projects or relationships that overload our current capacity. Knowing how and saying yes and no is an important place where we need to be honest with God and ourselves. This will help us to form and reconfigure boundaries to reclaim our soul’s peace, care, and rest.

If we have had problems with saying yes to everyone except ourselves, then we need to consider how resetting boundaries can give some healthy structure to our lives. Saying yes to everyone and everything isn’t humanly possible. Jesus’ example models that we must prioritize the Father’s Will, and let that sustain rather than spending our souls on the high cost of unclear boundaries.

When our yes responses conflict with our peace, our souls will shriek in protest. We cannot afford the mental and emotional expense of misery, as we will pay for it with our peace. 

Community

A circle of supportive individuals is critical for soul care. Whether family, friends, or part of our faith community, God designed us to live interdependently. While we have to wisely choose where and with whom we will nurture relationships, healthy connections add meaning to our lives. They can offset stressors that we face as we share each other’s burdens. Whether we are navigating unique triggers or personal challenges, hard seasons can harbor opportunities to connect.

Community offers essential social support. Loved ones can furnish some of the safe spaces where we need to process the normal difficulties of life as well as share joy and milestone moments. Those in our circles act as a mirror and reflect the areas where we need to heal and change.

While life itself may be hard and good simultaneously, the strength and sharpening that we gather and give to others can enhance our soul care and peace as we grow together. 

Next Steps

Ultimately, our soul’s care and rest follow a decision to place faith in Christ Jesus. They call for God’s peace to guard, arresting any offender that would displace us from confidently governing our lives with the Lord’s provision and protection. He alone transforms us from the inside out, but we can take practical steps, backed by spiritual might to guide us.

Spend some time on this site to search and schedule an appointment with a counselor. Commit yourself to establishing your partnership with peace and engage in a healthy rhythm of soul care and rest.