Refreshing the Weary Worn Out Soul

There are highs and lows in all of our lives. Right now you may be sitting at the top of a mountain professionally, romantically, enjoying family life, or celebrating retirement. You can also be in deep despair due to financial losses, burnout, sickness, depression, or the death of a loved one. These losses can be traumatic, affecting you emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Matthew 11:28-30 TPT

Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.

Sounds beautiful and comforting right? But how do we actually join our hurting parts to His? We need to live and operate within the provision of this passage.

God created you with an intertwined, interdependent body, soul, and spirit.

Yet, as Americans, we treat each part separately.

For example, we are preoccupied with our physical appearance. We also go to the doctors when symptoms appear in our body. We practice our faith to fill our spirits. Still, we often miss the whole being connection. The medical profession is trained to treat symptoms with medicine. Doctors today, repeatedly advise patients to reduce their level of stress, then give them a prescription for the symptoms. What do we do? We prefer a pill to mask symptoms ignoring the stress reduction instructions. Medication alone can not eliminate emotional pain.

We tell ourselves "I'm okay" when in fact we're struggling because our culture has deep roots celebrating the concept of strength with phrases like "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" and "suck it up" or "power through."

Pulling yourself up by the bootstraps suggests self-effort which is a contradiction to dependence on the God who created us in the first place.

As Christians, the idea of "sucking it up" is perpetuated with the misuse of scriptures like Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Yes, God will and does strengthen us. But, we have to let God strengthen our whole being. When we don't, and because we are intertwined, interdependent beings it often results in both emotional and physical maladies.

The rest of this post is dedicated to allowing you to make your own physical, emotional connections.

Lets's start by asking a few initial questions.

CONNECTOR QUESTIONS

Are you facing job loss or insecurity?

Have you lost a loved one?

Are you going through a breakup or divorce?

Are you dealing with chronic illness?

Do you have an abusive person in your life?

Are you working as a first responder, social work, or another helping profession?

If you answered yes to any of the connector questions, read further to see if you have any other complaints that often accompany a traumatic event secondary trauma, or compassion fatigue. It could be that you are suffering from what has been called soul-sickness, soul wounding, or soul-fatigue.

Remember you are an intertwined, interdependent physical,

emotional, and spiritual being.

1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV

If one part suffers, every part suffers and if one part is honored all the parts are glad.

Just as it's true for the body of Christ, it's just as true for us as individuals that have a body, soul, and spirit.

PHYSICAL BEING

Are you on any regular medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, or depression?

Are you having difficulty falling or staying asleep?

Are you tired or fatigued all the time?

Aches and pains

Headaches

Digestive issues

Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, or panic attacks?

to keep connecting the dots read on

THOUGHT LIFE

Are you preoccupied with a particular aspect of your life?

Are you having trouble concentrating?

Are you often confused because you weren't listening to the conversations going on around you?

Are you dealing with resentment or bitterness despite attempts to pray and forgive?

Are you fearful of things you can't control despite prayer?

Living with regret despite asking for forgiveness?

Let's connect a few more dots .....

EMOTIONAL STATES

Are you easily startled?

Are you crying more often or easily?

Are you emotionally numb and closed off?

Are you using food to comfort yourself?

Are you eating less?

Are you drinking more to numb the pain?

Are you finding it hard to describe how you feel? Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, or panic attacks?

Are you angry despite praying and forgiving others?

Are you grieving?

Are you feel unloved, alone, or left out?

read on to connect the social life piece

SOCIAL LIFE

Do you spend more time alone?

Have you lost interest in activities you used to enjoy?

Have you lost touch with people you are close to?

Are you unable to accept help?

Are you unwilling to ask for help?

Are you making excuses or passing on invitations?

How many were you able to identify from each of the 4 sections, 5,10,15?

Before you did this little assessment, did you have any awareness of what was really happening? Now that you can see what will you do about it?

Are you ready to heal and be refreshed by God?

I'm here for you. We can work through all of this. Your life shouldn't be this hard. It's not supposed to be this way. This is one reason Jesus came.

Schedule a discovery call by going to https://www.ptcenter.life/

If you prefer your privacy get Cut Cards and the companion journal. Follow the link to see the results of a 6-month study. https://www.ptcenter.life/cut-cards

Lisa Pinney is a certified encounter coach and the founder of Pittsburgh Transformation Center. She is an expert in working with hurting people to help them experience healing and change through deep personal encounters with God. She is the author of the book DEEPER, Living the Christian Life in the Deep Down. She is also the developer of CUT CARDS. A groundbreaking, faith-filled, therapeutic deck cards based on scriptural principles and cognitive behavior therapy. Lisa also conducts DEEPER STILL CONTEMPLATIVE RETREATS and workshops. Her mission and call are to see the message of emotional healing through Christ become as much a part of the regular Christian experience as reading, worship, and prayer are.