Why Soul Work Matters: “Me” and God
By Jessica Jeans
This essay displays the intersection of “me” and “God”. Meditate on the truths with an open heart, and you will find there is a God of grace and power who created each of us!
Introduction
Soul work allows us to explore the mind, will and emotions as they connect to God. It is identity discovery—learning about the unique design that is a unique masterpiece, you. You are a gift. You are lovable. You are enough by grace. You are made good and significant!
To learn about ourselves, and how we view the world, we must open up our hearts. In reflection, we can discover truth about our beliefs and about our value as individuals.
When you self-reflect, you are exploring your innermost beliefs, thoughts, feelings and actions. While examining emotions, you can then tap into a God-given compass, which helps Him navigate you to your needs.
Abiding…To check in with God and let Him steer our next move. This is abiding in Him as those feeling triggers ebb and flow. The best ways to self-reflect: talk about it, write about it, express it, share with outlets by shedding light on the pain. Address your “stuckness” and by learning what is underneath; holding a root in your pains and fears.
In this work, you will eventually sort through the thoughts, feelings and emotions that come up from deep within the soul.
What is Soul Work?
Soul work is a guided, introspective look at ourselves. It helps us determine from where we receive our source of identity and our source of support.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is the true counselor, and He guides this process best! All truth comes from God, and He is the one that helps us to find it.
Other helpful sources are spiritual tools (like scripture, education and personality assessment), mentor guidance or professional counseling.
What is a Soul?
Let’s define soul. In Greek it means Psyche- breathe. Soul is a “being”, or a “person”. This is the essence of a human created in the image of God, by his BREATH.
Soul work allows us to explore the mind, will and emotions as they connect to God. It is identity discovery — in learning about the unique design that is your masterpiece: you. Its the most authentic way to explore what’s causing our reactions to life. Knowledge of truth brings freedom.
You are a gift, and you are lovable, enough, good and significant by grace!
When we have the courage to face our emotions [heart and vulnerability], we find how to “thrive” instead of just “survive”. (See book by Pete Walker).
Our soul is made up of the mind, will and emotions according to biblical scriptures. This can best represent the human psyche through our mind (a man thinks), our will (a man does/wants) and our emotions (a man feels).
Our psyche and our soul are interconnected, but God is the driving force. God breathed life into man. We are a reflection of Him!
Born first with developed vulnerability and ability to open up for support. We are created to receive love. And when we give it back to God, it completes our souls.
Truest connection is when we are fully known, and we are accepted by our creator. He says we are good enough for people. He covers us.
Remember this brings peace and joy. Needs are met: Safety, comfort, validation and strength.
Why God?
Humans are a product of God's breath. To find balance and peace, we must rely on Him. This is a position of the heart, which invites support, grace and love. He does the work. We rely and receive all we need from Him.
“3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
The mind (thoughts), will (decision) nor emotions (feelings) do not live any in just one place. They all live in the psyche inside of the body. They manifest in our cells, everywhere. It’s a network. It all (neurotransmitters stemming from the breath of life) bounces around and interacts together. The Spirit of God blesses all of this to work together.
When our emotions have needs, we abide by being aware of those needs and using our mind (thoughts) and will (body) to get them met. This is abiding—moving through emotions in prayer and meditation (first) towards resolve when they prompt us:
Anger is our power.
Sadness is our process of adjusting to reality when there’s loss.
Joy is our light in the dark times.
Fear is our indicator of danger.
Shame and guilt bring us to reconciliation (guilt) and self-acceptance (shame).
Carl Jung Said:
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. They will practice Indian yoga and all its exercises, observe a strict regimen of diet, learn theosophy by heart, or mechanically repeat mystic texts from the literature of the whole world–all because they cannot get on with themselves and have not the slightest faith that anything useful could ever come out of their souls.”
Our emotions sometimes put us in a state of guilt. We can receive forgiveness from God, self and if it’s a really good day- others.
But we don’t need forgiveness from people in order to be free of guilt.
“For I do not seek the approval of man. For if I did, I would not be a servant of Christ.” -Gal. 1:10
It Is Actual Work
It’s mushy. It’s serious. It triggers shame and sadness at times. Many avoid the process and therefore miss out on benefits, like peace, joy, confidence and intimacy.
“And men go forth to admire the high mountains and the great waves of the sea and the broad torrent of the rivers in the vast expanse of the ocean and the orbits of the stars, and to turn away from themselves….”.[105]
Soul work is a self-search for flawed beliefs that position us to suffer in life. We must yield to God to find insight in this work. This starts with the positioning of our heart.
The soul is where we get to consider (thought), choose (will), and to yield (vulnerable surrender-from the heart) in our life. Where we position ourselves to seek after (and receive-in our heart) support, source of truth and identity, perspective and growth.
If the soul dies (depression, Proverbs refers to deferred~ hope making the heart grow sick) there is a loss of sense of self. This leads to auto attack...suicide, or separately death by giving up.
Why would we want to do this? Unhinging the world, to Jung, means achieving a different perspective from our materialistic concern with power and wealth–a perspective that shows us our true goal, which is “not in the mastery of this world but in the attainment of the Kingdom of God, whose foundations are in [our] own heart.” [115] - Carl Jung
We can see that the soul is “ [27] the immediate datum of experience, [30] “the birth-place of all action and hence of everything that happens by the will of man”. (Carl Jung)
The soul is the source of our sense of meaning in life, “[84] as well as our creativity, [85] thanks to how it fosters our relation to the ‘archetype of the God-image.’ [86]”
Conclusion
As it turns out, we have been given all that we need in order to recognize that we have unmet spiritual needs. Emotions indicate to us how to get there. With these signals, we can abide in the Lord, cry out to Him, tell him of your fears, ask for change. Then clarity comes. The stuck emotion will dissipate, and peace surfaces again.
According to Matthew 5:8, We are made content when we mourn because we will be comforted.
When we are reminded that God has our needs and even wants covered, our joy returns. But we must stop and heal when we feel pain.
Our hearts were meant to praise with joy. Joy brings us to reconnect with God originally. This is why perhaps we seek that connection from people so naturally. Gratitude has been proven to shift cells on a molecular level. We are made to look at self and then back up to God (Spirit).
Our thoughts, feelings and actions can wreak havoc in relationships if the core beliefs are based on false information. For example: “I’m being judged by others”.Old information or deceitful information. We fall into lies and it becomes a stronghold.
If we continue to look deep inside, we are seeing the truth about each situation and learning lies that are in the way…getting unstuck. This releases strongholds.
Through “soul work”, we aim to understand and reposition the status of our mind, will and emotions. To point us toward a spiritual force that can set us straight. To bring balance. To root us by the stream (Col 2:7) of support, safety and love.
References
Jessica Jeans, LMHC
Co-Founder of Growth Groups
Family Counselor
Basic Shadow Work® Facilitator
Inspired and cited from Bible Scriptures (as quoted), Linda Tonnesen, Co-Founder of Growth Groups © 2020, Carl Jung, Cliff Barry (Shadow Work® Founder) and scriptures from the book Dealing with Our Inward Parts for the Growth in Life, by Witness Lee
Edited by Amanda Jeans