Saturday 7 August 2021

What are you ... really?

 

What I will say next will prove uncomfortable to many people. Even Christians. That is because most of us, whatever our beliefs, choose in life not to think about this particular thing. We put it at the back of our minds. Yet, it is central to our very existence. Many claim they believe it, yet prefer not to think too much about it.

There is ... out there somewhere ... all around us, another world. An invisible world. A spiritual world. A world inhabited by living beings. Perhaps better known as spirits.

This is a fundamental basis of our Christian beliefs. When we recite the Credo we say, (rather glibly):

 I believe in one God, the Father Almighty. Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

He has made everything. Visible and invisible. This bit is important. It says visible and invisible. Not seen and unseen. If I were to leave one room and enter another I become unseen. But I am not invisible.

The use of the word invisible is to underline the fact that there is an invisible, spiritual, world which we do not see. We are both visible in human form and invisible in our spiritual form - our soul.

There is also an invisible world of angels and spirits of those departed from this world; that is the souls of humans like us who have died. As well, of course, as the invisible Holy Spirit. The invisible God Himself and His Son Jesus, who is now an invisible spirit having departed this life as a human after His Human Resurrection. This bit is also very important. He died as a human. He was raised from the dead by God His Father. He was raised as a human and was seen by His disciples. He was then raised to Heaven where He is now a spirit.

In summary, there is a spiritual world. An invisible world inhabited by spirits. Even the devil and his demons inhabit this invisible world.

We are spirits. We are souls. Invisible souls. The only reason we can see each other is that our souls, temporarily, in this life, are encased in bodies. This is the bit that most people find uncomfortable.

They cannot distinguish our ever living invisible souls from our visible bodies. People see first of all our bodies, as we are born as babies, as we grow up and as we are throughout life. That's what they recognise in each person they meet. The body. Which is given a name at birth, which grows up and gets a job, starts a family or whatever. The body is what becomes recognisable in peoples' mind. Not the soul. Because we don't see it. Out of sight out of mind, as they say. People are recognised by their bodies, and their behaviour.

But it is the soul that initiates and controls one's behaviour. It is the soul, the invisible soul, that develops our character which is recognised by others. Not our bodies.

Our bodies are only a mixture of water, chemicals and minerals. When a body ceases to function it disintegrates and, as they say, returns to dust.

But the soul lives on. Many religions believe that. Many people think they believe that. But they don't give it much thought. Because it is too uncomfortable.

MORAL: By all means look after your body. But look after your soul even more.

17 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reminder to 'wash' my soul along with my body.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The thing to remember is that we ARE a soul.

      God bless, Kathy.

      Delete
  2. ...never rely on what you think you know! Wow I like that version or interpretation. Ain't that the gospel. Very well written my friend and that is very true. We try not to think of the unseen. Children are told 'ghost' stories and they are usually 'scary'. I think that carries over to adulthood somehow. Your thoughts are very deep and something we NEED to TRY to understand, but it is tough.
    Sending the best of thoughts your way.
    Sherry & jack

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, Jack. As children, we are frightened with ghost stories; rather than having spirits explained to us gently. People tend to forget there is an invisible spirit world to which we belong.

      God bless you and Sherry.

      Delete
  3. Victor, I believe this is one of your best! A keeper, for sure! Like Jack's written, I like your Proberbs version! That's perhaps my favorite verse in the Bible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Mevely for your kindness to me. I like this proverb too. It keeps me focussed.

      God bless you always.

      Delete
  4. Dearest Victor,
    Guess even as a young child, listening to Mom's sad loss of my older sister, who's name I got, changed me. The sadness but also the joy of 'feeling' her soul next to me has stayed with me all my life. Maybe for that reason I never cared about altering my 'body' by means of a hair dye, or tattoo (even eye lines!), face lift or fillings, whatever. I'm far more focussed on the soul and character is a lot more important than just 'looks'. Looks fade away for everyone, till we literally become just DUST.
    What will be remembered forever is the character and our souls will live on. We will still be able to guide and help loved ones, especially those that remember us.
    Yes, there are several souls walking beside me and supporting. People have to start doing a serious soul search...!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right. There are several souls walking beside us and supporting us in every day life. The souls of our relatives and loved ones who have died and went on to Heaven. I believe God allows them to return to earth, as spirits, to guide us back home to Him. Angels too, they are spirits sent to us by God as guides in our lives.

      God bless, Mariette.

      Delete
  5. C. S. Lewis said (I paraphrase) that we are not bodies that have a soul, but rather souls who have bodies. You are spot on, Victor!
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you paraphrase right, Martha. Yet today, few people really believe that, or even understand it.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  6. Amen! You are so right.
    Our pastor just preached on spiritual warfare that goes in in our life this past Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Happyone. People tend to forget about the spiritual world and the warfare within it.

      God bless.

      Delete
  7. I would think that keeping body and soul together would come under the blanket of "look after your soul", particularly if that body is calm, happy, and kind to itself and others.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lots to ponder here, and yes, the invisible world is quite real, the war between Good and evil is happening, and Good will win.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, Mimi. Good will win; it has won already when Christ conquered death.

      God bless you.

      Delete

I PRAY FOR ALL WHO COMMENT HERE.

God bless you.