Category: Soul Care

Quieting my Soul

On By Susan Cort JohnsonIn Growing in Christ, Soul CareLeave a comment

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 131:1-2

     During the four-hour drive home from my elderly mother’s house, thoughts of sleepless nights swirled in my mind. A guard rail on her bed preventing her from getting up by herself is inevitable. Increasingly, she is falling during the night trying to use the portable potty. It is only a step away, bedside, but still, she frequently plops down onto the floor.

     I take turns with my sisters relieving the caregiver on her days off and dread the thought of sleeping next to a baby monitor, jumping out of bed to assist my mom each time she needs to use the portable potty. One sister told me it was part of caregiving. Am I selfish, unloving, uncompassionate…?

     Listening to a podcast while driving home, I realized I had driven miles without hearing the discussion, absorbed in my 96-year-old mother’s health issues. It’s not just imbalance, but confusion as the dementia progresses. I found her sitting on the floor next to her bed the morning I was leaving. She could not figure out how to get onto her knees and pull herself up off the floor, even with my coaching. Now the problem is consuming me.

Life Can Be Overwhelming

     Anxiety takes hold swiftly, rushing in like the waters of a flash flood, seemingly out of nowhere. Soon I am inundated with worry, arms sculling all my “what ifs” to keep my head up, yet gulping so many overwhelming issues I am being pulled under.

     When I trace my thoughts from the beginning, I realize they were just a drizzle moments ago, small scenarios of what might happen. But the droplets became a downpour and just as soil can no longer absorb the deluge of rain, dread engulfs my mind. Surely, nothing good will come of the situation I’m in. “Please Lord! No!” is my heart’s cry.

     In Psalm 131, David makes sure God Almighty rules and reigns over his life. Reading the word’s he wrote, I realize I have a choice. My mom’s care needs are too great for me. I tremble at the thought of dragging through low energy days during my time with mom because of sleep deprivation.

     The other morning, I had a taste of the soul David described while I read my Bible. My mom was still sleeping and a gentle rain was falling, drumming lightly on the roof in a rhymical lullaby. Sitting in a chair with a cup of coffee, the Bible in my lap, I watched the rain out the large, living room window as it soaked the fields of golden, fall grass and oak trees. I felt secure, loved by God. All was well with my soul. Thankfulness overflowed my heart.

In His Word

     According to David, we don’t have to be overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. We can calm and quiet our soul.

He begins with the position of his heart. His heart is not prideful, thinking he can find the solution to his problems. Nor is he looking for solutions on his own. In the New Living Translation of the Bible the verse reads: “Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.” (Ps. 131:1, NLT)

     He does not obsess about matters that are beyond his ability to solve. Sometimes there is no solution. My mother has dementia that is progressively getting worse. It is a chronic illness characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive function which impacts daily living. There are books with tips on how to care for people with dementia, but there is a lot of trial and error as you walk the path with your loved one.

Verses in Proverbs give direction on how to walk such a path. They are familiar to most, directing us to trust God, not leaning on our understanding of the situation. Then ask God to direct us in the steps along the way, acknowledging Him in every situation. These steps will straighten our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God always provides Scripture verses on how to act and react, the Holy Spirit bringing them to mind at the moment they are needed.

But until there is a situation in which I must react, I am not to imagine what the future might hold. Like a weaned child, I no longer fret.

Walking It Out

     Nursing children cry and fuss when hungry, desiring to be satisfied by their mothers. Once weaned, they can rest in her care. They know they can trust her to meet their needs.

     To stop fretting I remember that God’s grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I can know He will give me sufficient grace for the situation with my mother.

     But there is action I can also take. In 1 Peter 5:7 I am told to cast my anxieties on God because he cares for me.

     God’s timing is always perfect therefore the Bible study I am working through, “Seek First the Kingdom” by Christine Hoover, included a teaching in session four that spoke to this issue. Expounding on Matthew 6:25-34, she said “Jesus teaches us to be attentively present in the day we are experiencing.” That means we rely on God, knowing He will meet our needs for this day as well as our needs in the future. She adds, “Anxiety is misplaced attentiveness.”1

     So, I am practicing living in the present. Asking God to meet my needs for this day. This practice, calms and quiets my soul.

©2025 Susan Cort Johnson *All Rights Reserved

Reference:

1-“Seek First the Kingdom-God’s Invitation to Life and Joy in the Book of Matthew” by Christine Hoover. Lifeway Press, Brentwood, Tennessee.  

Storing Up Treasure in Heaven

On By Susan Cort JohnsonIn Growing in Christ, Knowing God, Soul CareLeave a comment

     “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20 ESV

     My sister is culling her belongings– purging closets, the garage, and storage bins of those “maybe I might need this in the future” items, the “I can’t let go of this memory” items, and the “maybe this is a collector’s item I can sell.”

     She does not want to burden her daughter and grandchildren with this task one day. Not everyone thinks this way. When my great-aunt died my mom and her cousin spent weeks cleaning her house so it could be sold. One spare bedroom was filled with old magazines–stack upon stack, year upon year.

     Our material belongings are earthly treasures. Often, things we value are difficult to let go, and we mourn their loss whether from natural elements or theft. These treasures might be a set of dishes we inherited or a big-screen TV we saved money to purchase. In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus warns us not to “store up” (gather, reserve) these treasures filling closets, garages, spare bedrooms, and rented space at storage units.

What Does “Storing Up?” Mean?

     To help His disciples understand this concept, Jesus told a parable about a rich man who built larger barns to store the abundant crops his land produced (Luke 12:16-21). With ample goods laid up for many years, he thought he could “relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God called him a fool, because that night he died. All he had worked for was given to someone else.

     Jesus said, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:21, NLT). This relationship is ours to keep forever, no one else can inherit it.

     It isn’t wrong to have “stuff.” For example, my husband and I have backpacks, a tent, and cooking gear for overnight trips into the backcountry. Also, we have kayaks nestled against the house for paddling on a nearby lake. We don’t have gear stockpiled, but just what we need for those breaks from work– those times of refreshing. Our hearts overflow with gratitude as we enjoy God’s provision.

In His Word

     While it isn’t difficult to envision physical treasures and the untidy rooms they can create when we accumulate too much, we need God’s Word to uncover the spiritual treasures we are to lay up. Descriptions are scattered throughout Scripture.

One is the opposite of laying up earthly treasures: generosity. In the apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he gave instructions for those who are rich in the present world: “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others” (1 Timothy 6:18, NLT).

     Our attitude toward God is another heavenly treasure. Isaiah tells us the fear of the Lord is treasure. To those who revere Him, He richly provides salvation, wisdom, and knowledge (Isaiah 33:6). A right relationship with God enriches our earthly life as well as our eternal life. Do we bow down to God in obedience, learning His Word so we can practice it?

     We want to be heavenly minded, not earthly minded, remembering our soul goes to heaven not our house, clothes, jewelry, cars, boats, furniture, art collection, chef’s range, paddle board, or…

     Our faithfulness will be rewarded in heaven (Matthew 25:21).

Walking It Out

     What captures our attention and consumes our time defines our treasure. And wherever our treasure is, the desires of our heart will also be (Luke 12:34).

     In his gospel, Luke included the lesson Jesus taught His disciples on worry immediately after the parable of the rich fool who built new barns to store his abundant goods. It is the “don’t worry about what to eat or wear” lesson, also found in Matthew chapter 6.

     Instead, Jesus taught His disciples to seek the Kingdom of God above all else. When this task is our focus, God will give us everything we need.

     “To seek God’s kingdom is to seek to live in accordance with His standards and guidelines,” explains Tony Evans in his Bible commentary. God isn’t where we go when all else fails, writes Evans.1 We seek Him first when we need guidance in decision-making, counsel to handle a difficult situation, mental or physical healing, provision, an attitude adjustment, or refreshing when we are weary.

     Let’s be bountiful in good works and all the other actions in the Bible that will cause Jesus to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” These acts of obedience cannot be taken from us. They are heavenly treasures.

©2025 Susan Cort Johnson *All Rights Reserved

Resources:

1-The Tony Evens Bible Commentary published by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tennessee.

Adopt a “No Excuses” Policy for Sin

On By Susan Cort JohnsonIn Growing in Christ, Soul Care, Walk in the SpiritLeave a comment

     How do I make excuses for my sin? I am prompted to ask this question of myself during a Bible study I am working through on the book of Romans in which the author suggests we are prone to excuse our sins.1

     We justify harsh words with such excuses as exhaustion or a tight schedule. Sharing degrading information about another person is disguised as a prayer request rather than labeled gossip. We claim a lie as protection rather than deception.

     Yet God wants us to acknowledge our sin.

     “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” Psalm 51:6 NIV

     David, the author of this Psalm, needed a radical transformation of his inner self so that he might learn wisdom and adopt God’s perspective on all things, writes Tony Evans in his commentary on the Bible. “We need the same,” he states.2

     How do we get such a radical transformation of our inner self… letting go of inappropriate thought processes, negative emotions, and self-absorption? How do we begin to see all things from God’s perspective?

Here’s three ways to radically transform our inner self and stop excusing sin:

–Ask God to examine our heart to uncover excuses for sin.

Long ago I was taught to pray Psalm 139:23-24 before my morning devotions so as I read my Bible the Holy Spirit would convict me of any sin I harbored in my heart.

The Psalm reads: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

The Holy Spirit’s conviction is not the same as the accusations brought by Satanic forces. To be shown where we have gone astray provides opportunity for correction and we desire to repent. And the Holy Spirit is our Helper. He brings to our mind Scripture that addresses the issue and shows us how to walk it out. He lovingly tutors us in righteousness. [The next blog post [Oct. 29] will focus on the how-to of repentance.]

–Determine the appropriate response to the Scripture we study.

Keep a list of questions in your Bible so after you have determined the meaning of the text you can contemplate questions that will result in an appropriate response.

Ask: What response does God want from me?

–Is there anything I need to confess and ask forgiveness for?

–Is there an error to avoid?

–Is there an example to follow?

–Is there a sin to forsake?

–Is there a promise to claim?

–Is there an action I should take?

–Is there a command to obey?

–Is there a warning to heed?

[If you would like a more detailed list of questions, signup for my mailing list and receive a walking paper titled “Transformation Questions to Glean More from Scripture”]

–Replace excuses for sin with memorized Scripture.

As we memorize Scripture, we go over a verse time and again. This close examination helps us notice subtle nuances we never noted before. The words are not only captured in our brain they become ingrained in our heart.

If we make excuses for gossip, what verses might we examine?

–Psalm 141: 3 “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” With this verse we ask the Lord for help, not only acknowledging our problem but seeking the power of the Holy Spirit to refrain from repeating gossip.

–Proverbs 15:4 “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Words matter. They can be life giving or destructive. This verse magnifies the power of our words. It should help us consider whether our words will build up or tear down.

–Proverbs 26:20 “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Divisiveness is fueled by gossip. Before we pass along information that fractures unity within a church, a family, or among friends we might think about the destruction we are causing and what might occur if we keep quiet.

This same method of gathering Scripture can be used with other areas of sin with which we struggle. Research the verses that address anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, judgmental attitudes, or whatever sin you tend to excuse and memorize them. Combine this with the other two tips and soon you will have no need for excuses.

©2024 Susan Cort Johnson *All Rights Reserved

Image by Pexels from Pixabay.

3 Reasons to Pursue Rest

On By Susan Cort JohnsonIn Satisfaction, Soul CareLeave a comment

     I stepped out of my routine for a week traveling to Costa Rica with my sister. My laptop was left on my desk and I ceased all writing projects at whatever point of undone they happened to be. This included a social media challenge for the month of May. My last post from the calendar was May 22.

     This summer I am pursuing rest and this trip was the launching point.

     Packed in my bookbag were two books highlighting the theme. My church’s summer Bible study for women, “Rest for Your Soul” and “Rhythms of Rest, Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World.”1

     As my week at the Coast Beach Hotel in Tamarindo stretched before me I felt restless. My thought at home, flipping through the pages of a guidebook purchased at Barnes and Noble and scrolling the Internet, was to find a day tour that explored rainforests and put you in the vicinity of swinging bridges. Also, I was drawn to coffee plantations and roasters that would reveal the nuances of their beans.

     Afternoons on a chase lounge in a shaded area near the beach, succumbing to short naps, reading an entire chapter of a book without breaking to put clothes in the dryer seemed lackluster. Not an ingredient for adventure. Visits to national parks and plantations are educational, worthwhile, and experiential. But lessons about rest?

     Sabbath is mentioned frequently in books on rest. Yet it is not the required stepping away from work on the 7th day described in the Old Testament. In Christ, Christians can observe the Sabbath according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

     Got Questions Ministries explains—“Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.” Here “Sabbath day” refers to any Jewish holiday, including the seventh day of the week. The main point for the Christian is that we are no longer under the requirements of the Hebrew Law. We are under the law of grace. God’s law is now written on our hearts, and we are now a new creation.”2

     The Hebrew word for Sabbath rest provides insight into why it might be beneficial to all of us who are saved by grace through faith in Christ and not by works. [Ephes. 2:8] This word is sabat, which means “to rest or stop or cease from work.” When we rest from our labors, we realize that we don’t keep the earth spinning on its access. We are not capable of holding everything together by sustaining, providing, and solving problems. Only God has such ability and power and we need to abide rather than strive.

     Here are a few things about rest I have picked up from the books I am reading.

     –In busyness we miss a lot.

     The day before Father’s Day I volunteered to drive up and down a section of the course for a century bicycle ride looking for cyclists in distress. One rider failed to notice a stop sign at an intersection as he peddled with his head down, concentrating on the task at hand. He rode across a two-lane highway without looking for oncoming cars. Thankfully, there was no traffic when he darted across the roadway.

     What do we miss when we don’t take time to look up? It could be direction God is giving, or revelation about Himself, or a solution to a problem. Rest creates space apart from busyness and provides opportunity for new perspective.

     –Sabbath provides space between us and our problems.

     “When the mind is focused entirely on a problem, we lose sight of God’s place within it. We pit ourselves against all the details as if the problem is ours to conquer immediately,” writes Shelly Miller, author of Rhythms of Rest. Sabbath allows us to see the problem from God’s perspective, often with surprising results. Finding solutions is a form of busyness, she adds.

     –Spending focused time with God strengthens our relationship.

     I seem to live life focused on purpose. Therefore, I love, serve, write, create, build, encourage… do things I deem will make a difference, impact the world for good. But as I read about rhythms of rest the idea that God’s words aren’t just for discipline, they are filled with personal messages of love sticks firmly in my mind. God created us for a deep relationship with him. The best way to connect is in solitude without distractions.

     I don’t know where this pursuit of rest will lead. But it is my focus this summer. I will share my discoveries in future blogs.

©2024 Susan Cort Johnson *All Rights Reserved

Image from Pixabay

Resources

1a-Rest for Your Soul, A Bible study on Solitude, Silence, & Prayer by Wendy Blight published by HarperChristian Resources in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

1b-Rhythms of Rest, Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World by Shelly Miller published by BethanyHouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

2-www.GotQuestions.org, Question: “Does God require Sabbath-keeping of Christians?”