Why soul-searching is the most important skill to master for emotional wellness.

We all have heard the phrase “soul searching”. But what are we searching for? When hearing that phrase it is encouraging us to take inventory of the way we feel and take note of our deep state of being. I guess, right? *shrug*

The only way to master soul searching it to have an idea of what you are looking for! So once you begin your exploratory endeavor of the soul it will be fruitful.

First lets discuss what the soul is. Genesis 2:7 says “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” So we don’t have a soul, we are a soul. We are all souls that live in a body.

We, the souls, are made up of 3 components. The mind, the will, the emotions. The mind is our intellect, the will is our desires and intentions and the emotions are our instinctive or intuitive feelings.

We as souls have distinct, innate needs. These needs, if gone unmet, do not just go away. In fact these unmet needs keep adding up until they are met. A chronic state of unmet “soul needs” results in depression, fear, anxiety, loneliness and an overall internal depletion of our state of being.

So what are these “soul-needs”. The 3 basic soul-needs are intimacy (to be known),connection– to belong and comfort (to be soothed from pain).

God designed us to get our soul-needs met by Him first and then by the people around us. If this is out of order or if we pursue other things to meet these needs we will be in a constant state of dissatisfaction and disappointment and can even reach a point of internal destruction.

Here’s where the problem arises. Soul-needs are legitimate but we often attempt to meet these legitimate needs in an illegitimate way. This is where destructive habits, cycles of sin and negative patterns are developed. We can be in a state of pain, distress or grief and our soul needs comfort but instead of going to God (the “God of all comfort” 2 Cor 1:3) we anesthetize ourselves with various things, food, sex, media, drugs etc. These illegitimate means only bring temporary comfort and thus results in indulgence because you have to keep coming back for more. Again, we are creatures who need intimacy and connection, we need to be known and to belong. When we don’t go to God first to meet these needs, they go unmet and unfulfilled and we find other ways to meet them that will NEVER satisfy us.

We have to be very intentional about searching our souls especially when we are hurting, angry, lonely or tired. We have to ask ourselves what does my soul need in this moment?. Do I need intimacy, connection or comfort?. We must be very aware, in tune, disciplined and cautious.

Emotional wellness, is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times. In order to maintain emotional wellness we have to search our souls daily to determine if our needs are being met. When we go to God to meet these soul-needs we will be continuously filled and satisfied. We will only reach a state of emotional wellness when we take an active and disciplined approach to managing our needs in a healthy way.

Today, search your soul. Write down what areas in your soul are not being met. Ask God to meet the needs of your soul and to send you healthy relationships to supplement. Go to God daily with these requests and watch your emotional wellness flourish!

Need help navigating your soul-needs? I can help! Schedule your free 15 min consultation today?