Philippians 4:4 (CSB)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Your soul is always on, all the time, every day, and even when you're sleeping. Your soul is the immaterial part of you that interacts with God. If you are in Christ, then you have the Holy Spirit within you, who is interacting with your soul 24/7. Everything that you're exposing yourself to has a direct impact on your soul and the well-being of your spiritual life. The bad news here is that watching anything of the world can have a negative impact on your soul and spiritual well-being. The good news is that when you expose yourself to anything that is godly, it is going to have an enriching impact on your soul and strengthen your spiritual well-being.
Over the past couple of years, I have experimented with how listening to a Bible app impacts my soul and spiritual well-being. I have been shocked, to say the least, at the positive impact it has had on my life. Even when I'm not paying attention and I just have the Bible playing in the background, I'm amazed at the positive impact it has on my soul. It's obvious because when the altitude of your soul rises, every other aspect of your life is going to rise with it. For example, if I'm struggling with negative thoughts and emotions, I can turn on the Bible app and have it playing in the background, and within minutes I can tell that the mood has lifted and the heaviness has gotten lighter. It's like a vitamin injection for my spiritual well-being.
In Acts chapter sixteen, Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison. Here is how Luke (the author of Acts) describes it: Acts 16:23–24 (CSB): “After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.” It sounds painful, doesn't it? Paul and Silas are beaten and bloodied, and they're in stocks to make them even more uncomfortable. But even among all this mistreatment and pain, we find these two men having an amazing worship service.
Acts 16:25 (CSB)
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
How are they worshipping God in the middle of such terrible circumstances? We can find our answer in some of the other Scriptures that Paul wrote.
Philippians 1:21 (CSB)
For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 3:10–11 (CSB)
My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
The power of the Word of God and exposure to its life transforming power cannot be overstated. Would you like a vitamin injection for your soul? If so, stay connected to the Word of God as much as you possibly can. By doing so, you will see how the positive impact on your spiritual being will overflow into every aspect of your life. The experience of Paul and Silas reminds us that even in the darkest hour, in painful circumstances, A healthy, thriving soul that is abiding in Christ will explode in worship and praise.
So even here today, make it your goal to expose yourself even more than you have in the past to the life-transforming power of the Word of God. Be conscientious about what you're exposing your soul to throughout this day. And then take inventory after every exposure of everything you've watched, everything you've listened to, and every person you've been around to see how your soul is fairing.
When you choose to expose yourself to Kingdom infusions, it will buoy your spiritual nourishment and help you rise above the doldrums of your life. Your spiritual well-being is not a passive process; it's more like a race; it's like exercising a muscle. Just as Paul said, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). By doing so, you're building Kingdom grit to face the worldly trials you will no doubt come up against. Don't just let the Scripture play in the background of your life; be proactive in taking it to the center of your identity in Christ. Let it inspire you to live out God's Kingdom purpose every day of your life.
Beginning today.