GodReflection: Is It Well with My Soul?

“Narrow is the mansion of my soul; enlarge Thou it, that Thou mayest enter in. It is ruinous; repair Thou it. It has that within which must offend Thine eyes; I confess and know it. But who shall cleanse it? or to whom should I cry, save Thee? Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults, and spare Thy servant from the power of the enemy. I believe, and therefore do I speak.” – Augustine’s Confessions

My soul is a mansion designed by The One who created the universe. In its original state my mansion was perfect. It was streamlined to house the Holy. Then Satan step in with his garden wrecking crew. The destruction was so great that the walls closed in like a vice on what had been God breathed.

The good news is I emerged from baptismal waters with a new occupant in my soul. God’s Holy Spirit moved in.

Upon His arrival He was greeted by a heart, mind and body in need of renovation. Each space was far too confined for His glorious presence. He had a lot of work to do.

My heart, although it welcomed Him in was far too restricted. It would need a remodel for His love to expand.

My mind, although it made the decision to open the door and give Him a key, still thought far too much about me. It questioned if The Holy actually would look after and care for my daily well-being.

Then there was my body and my strength. For a game plan that looked toward eternal life, it seemed my body might be broken beyond even the fine print in His repair manual.

Souls drawn back to God eventually come to reality as did Augustine. There is a lot that is offensive inside and renovation is needed for the soul to return to its pristine state.

In more reflective moments when I step back and attempt to grasp the overall message of Scripture I come away with two thoughts that should calm my soul in a turbulent world.

First, life is a long-haul proposition.

My soul received such Adamic damage that its “ruinous” state can only be repaired over an entire lifetime and I assume its final restoration touches will occur when a resurrected body rises to meet Jesus at His second coming.

It is at this point we need to give ourselves as well as others abundant grace. Soul renovation is a slow process. Neither God nor His Son have ever expected instant perfection. This is difficult for us who live in an “instant push button world” who expect everything to be done at the speed of light. We want renovation done now.

The truth is Jesus’ Holy Spirit is the project manager of my soul repair. It is done within His timeframe not mine. I need to relax and let Him take the lead. Holy timing is perfect. My timing isn’t.

There is a second thought that should calm my soul.

I have one task and one task alone. Since I do not need to be in the business of fixing myself I am free to pursue only one aim. I am to answer Jesus’ daily call of “follow me.” I live from the strength of relationship not from fear. It is a relationship formed out of a conscious gratitude for God’s mercy and grace. His mercy and grace I did not merit nor was it possible to make available through my own resources.

It seems to me there is a sense in which I can simplify my interface with the content of the entire Bible when it comes to soul renovation. The more I come to know Jesus, and the more I allow His likeness to shine through me to every person I meet, the more my soul will be enlarged.

Is it too simplistic to believe if I keep my eyes focused upon Jesus he will in turn transform my soul into a mansion designed for the Holy?

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells

A GodReflection: Renovation Project—Enlarge My Soul

Gary@Godreflection.org

www.GodReflection.org

www.MakeYourVisionGoViral.com