I’ve been quite concerned (more accurately put, frustrated) about the state of the world in general, our country in particular, and even more so about some versions of the Church. I’ve been talking to the Lord about it, and he agrees with me that amidst all its good, the world has more than its quota of bad. I thought we were on the exact same page, when a whisper arrived in my exasperated mind: “Get a hold of yourself!”

Two New Testament passages that speak to that theme came to mind. The first was…

“By your endurance you will gain [control of] your souls.” (Luke 21:19)

Control of the Soul in Tumultuous Times

This passage is lifted from Jesus’ famous teaching during passion week while on the Mount of Olives. The teaching comprises some of his last words before leaving his disciples to fend for themselves––with the Spirit’s help, of course. He was in the process of giving them a heads up about turbulent times right around the corner that would cause a lot of anxiety and fear. Earthquakes, famines, and pestilences… wars, persecutions, and deceptions… people fainting from terror, nations in anguish and apprehension…

Sound at all familiar?

It’s difficult in times like those (and these) to get a hold of ourselves––to minimize anxiety, fear, and frustration and maximize calm, courage, and peace.

Whether Jesus was referring to “signs” of the last of the last days or to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans not many years later or to some of both, the question remains the same. How do we conduct ourselves in tumultuous times? And the answer is the same. Get ahold of yourself! Be patient and get a grip on your soul.

You gotta admit it’s interesting that he referred to our “soul” here. Not our body, not our spirit, but our soul. I’ll unpack the difference between soul and spirit in the next post, but for now, remember that your soul consists of your intellect, your emotions, and your will (mind, feelings, and the power to choose). Also interesting (at least to me) is his prescription as to what we must learn to do with our soul. “Gain control” of it, master it by bringing it to the Master. So don’t give in to the chaos that’s in the world (and sometimes in the Church)! Don’t let your soul, your thoughts, emotions, and will run wild! Corral them––“Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10).

In times like these, God prescribes neither apathy nor apoplexy. We’re more likely to maintain the testimony of Jesus in these frenzied times by getting ahold of our souls through patient endurance. In other words, don’t lose heart. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow, if not after a bunch more tomorrows. But the things we can’t see now will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Don’t give in to fear. Get a hold of your soul! FYI, I’m talking to myself too!

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)

I said there were two Get-a-hold-of-yourself passages that came to mind. The other addresses another part of us and in a completely different context in the New Testament.

To his friends in Thessalonica, Paul used the same Greek term Jesus used regarding gaining control of our souls to command us to take mastery of our bodies. Different context, different part of our human make-up, same exhortation. Get a hold of yourself! Take a look.

“Each of you should learn to control your own body[ in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans who do not know God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:4)

Bridle the Body in Tantalizing Times

Jesus spoke of controlling our souls during catastrophic times. Now Paul urges us to bridle our bodies while swimming in a culture of moral dissipation, especially the dissipation of sexual hedonism.

Though 350 miles apart, Thessalonica and Corinth had something in common, their need (and ours) was to bridle the body in a way that honors God and reflects the reality that our bodies belong to him:

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

This God-honoring bridled body includes, maybe even begins with, sexual behavior. But it doesn’t end there. We’re told to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) in everything we do and in everything we resist. It implies taking care of our body (feed it healthily, exercise it, refuse to abuse it with drugs or too much alcohol, etc.). It includes making it available to serve God and others (think of the Good Samaritan). “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16). Essentially, our own Hippocratic Oath: “Do no harm” to your body or anyone else’s!

Another: “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires… put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 6:12; 8:13). Eventually, we won’t have so much difficulty harnessing our bodies for good, because he will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Philippians 3:21)! But in the meantime, and believe me these times can be quite mean, it’s our job, with the Spirit’s strength, to reel in our bodies and use them to live for the glory of God and the good of others!

Notice anything missing from the conversation so far? There’s another part of us we haven’t mentioned, really our most important part, the key component that makes it possible for you and I to get a hold of our soul and body. But it’s getting late, so, let’s talk about that next time.

On the edge of your seat yet? See you then.