The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul
Ps. 19:7
Soul care is the business of the church. The leaders are charged with keeping watch over your souls (Heb. 13:17). Paul instructed the congregation to encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11). Soul care begins with the admission that we are prone to wander. When we are bludgeoned with the blunt end of brokenness – whether our own or of another – we are easily distracted from the beauty of the One Who is perfect in all His ways. Therefore, the reviving of the soul means the return of the soul with the tone of restoration. While under the sun we must be continually restored to the One who is our highest good and our deepest satisfaction.
When you are hungry or thirsty you return to food and drink. When a device runs out of power you return it to an outlet. This is also true soulishly in the community of grace, and none of it is done in isolation any more than your hand functions on its own without the aid and impact of the rest of the body. We are called to walk with each other in a God-ward direction. That means more than just being able to quote Bible verses at a problem or saying, “I’ll pray for you” and then walking away. The “one another” statements of the New Testament i.e., bear with one another, be kind to one another, encourage one another, show hospitality to one another, build one another up, love one another, submit to one another, outdo one another in showing honor, welcome one another, stir one another up to love and good works… are the nuts and bolts of soul care. Far from just a list of things Christians should be busy doing, this is a call to invest in each other deeply as Christ invested Himself in us. That is the essence of grace; it is the practical workings of discipleship.
One of the burdens of pastoral ministry is being aware of the abundance of brokenness and investing in those who are acutely impacted by it. At times the need can be overwhelming and distracting. But pastors must acknowledge that the burden is not ours alone. The church is God’s instrument to come along side the hurting and the weary. It is fitting that we have a ministry of Grace that is focused on soul care. The counseling ministry is expanding to meet the need in our community, both inside and outside our church. The intent of Grace Counseling Ministry is not to do all the soul care for the church, but to teach and equip the church to rise to the call of caring for one another and bearing one another’s burdens. This expands the horizons of our vision to be an intentional community of grace that loves God, demonstrated by loving people in a culture of discipleship.
Our brokenness under the sun can be daunting and discouraging. But then I hear of those in our congregation who rise to the occasion of coming along side another who is hurting or drifting – and I am comforted. Because when the church is being the church, she is beautiful! And that is a powerful witness to a confused and thirsty world.
Copyright © 2021 Grace Bible Church, All rights reserved.Sou