Feeding The Soul

BY REV. STEPHEN GRAY

How does one “feed their soul”? What is going to deeply satisfy me on an existential level? That is really what life is all about. In fact, that is what we spend our surplus cash on, it is what we take vacations to find, it is what we are constantly looking for. What things in life will deeply satisfy me?

We see people all around us doing their best to “feed their soul.” Look at the politicians in Washington D.C. There is no end to their regulations and their desire to control our lives. There is always more, more, more. And what about Hollywood. Those folks have money, fame and power. They are what we all strive for, yet each year we lose some of our stars to suicide because they are deeply unhappy. The drug scene is crazy in our country, because people are either trying to feed their soul with drugs and a good high, or they are trying to get away from a dissatisfied life.

The Bible is a book of ancient wisdom. Many of us who trust in it believe that it is a gift from God that will answer all the most important questions in life. And when it comes to feeding the soul it gives us the great commandment. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and ... Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39). Hard to believe it, but it’s that simple. That is how we feed our soul. When we aren’t loving God and others, we are focused on ourselves. And that is never a source of happiness. The only way to truly find happiness, to truly feed your soul, is to love God and serve Him, and to love others and help them. A lot of people have been taking to the streets to help others. They call it “giving back.” But that is only half of the answer. Until they are willing to acknowledge God and his son Jesus Christ, there will always be an emptiness. The great philosopher Blaise Pascal once said “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made know through Jesus Christ.” Now, don’t start looking for a hole, it was metaphorical, but very accurate. We were created with a need for God. Until we accept that and acknowledge him and serve others, our souls will continue to starve. What have you been cramming into that vacuum that doesn’t work? Try Jesus. You just might be surprised how filling He is.

PHOTO CREDIT: BECKY BARNETT