Genesis 2:7 NLT
[7] “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

A quick reading of this verse gives the impression that God made the first man in two parts – the combination of a material part made from the elements of the earth and a non-material part by breathing His own breath into him. Man became “nephesh”, a living being, or a living soul.

The soul, sometimes referring to the non-material part of a human, relates to God, called, or through, the “spirit”, and to people and the world around us through our mind, will, and emotions.

Since humans are a unit, we cannot compartmentalise ourselves strictly into body and soul since soul can mean more than one aspect of our non-material nature. For example, we use the word “heart” to relate to everything about our inner being, while out “soulish” part drives our actions and reactions.

However, when Adam chose to defy God, everything about him was infected by sin. His body became subject to disease, disabilities, and eventually death . His spirit lost communication with God. He was completely cut off from Him. Adam, the first human who represented the human race, passed on his tainted and corrupted nature to mankind.

Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. [2] You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. [3] All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”

Our sin nature, pandering to the demands of our ungodly desires, controlled us. Our minds, will, and emotions were out of order, causing chaos in our understanding, beliefs, and behaviour.

Where once the human mind, corrupted by sin, could only think false thoughts, God restored through His grace. Our thought processes are now based on an understanding of the truth, and we develop a belief system which influences our will to do the right thing. Our decisions and actions fall in line with the truth and our emotions follow, confirming the choice of our will. The outcome of the soul’s function in the correct order is peace.

Chaos results when the soul, out of order, reacts to our emotions rather than to the truth. When an unpleasant situation occurs, emotions run amok. Instead of stopping to think the situation through, we make wild, unreasonable decisions based on the way we feel, cand take sinful, often selfish action that exacerbates the situation.

Only God, by His grace, can teach us and enable us to function in an orderly way so that our souls are at peace rather than in a state of emotional disturbance.

Paul gives us a simple prescription for life that helps us get our souls back into God’s way.

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
[6] “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. [7] Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

We automatically slip into “worry” or “anxiety” mode when we run into situations outside of our control. Our disturbed emotions upset rational thinking and decision-making. Paul says, “Stop! Don’t do anything. If you believe in God, turn your situation over to Him. When you thank Him, you release your anxiety into His hands. In return, He restores peace in your heart.”

Can you understand the process? God restores peace to the soul when we function in the correct order. Jesus gave us His peace to steady our lives. There is no need to live in a state of mental and emotional disturbance when we approach our challenges with the correct attitude.

There is one more step in this process of restoration in our souls. Paul’s prescription is only fully effective when we do as he says.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT
[8] “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [9] Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

We cannot put in place the beliefs1 that influence our choices, decisions, and behaviour unless we fill our minds with the thoughts that shape what we believe. For example, we will not trust God when stuff happens if we do not believe that He is good all the time.

So, says Paul, fill your mind with thoughts that enhance your faith in God. Put another way…

Romans 12:2 NLT
[2] “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Restoration of our souls, then, is not one-sided. It’s a partnership between God and us. When we fill our thoughts with the truth of His
Word, and apply those truths in difficult times, He helps us to react in the right way, turning our anxiety over to Him and trusting Him to take care of the situation. He restores peace which lifts us above the situation to a state of tranquility where anxiety cannot intrude.

And… to crown it all, He will actively intervene to support, sustain, and bless us as He did both Joseph and David in the Old Covenant by His presence.

“The God of peace will be with you.”

To be continued…