Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You

by John Ortberg

The soul is NOT 'a theological and abstract subject.' The soul is the coolest, eeriest, most mysterious, evocative, crucial, sacred, eternal, life-directing, fragile, indestructible, controversial, expensive dimension of your existence. Jesus said it's worth more than the world. You'd be an idiot not to prize it above all else. Shouldn't you get pretty clear on exactly what it is? Shouldn't you know what it runs on? Wouldn't it be worth knowing how to care for it? Two things are for sure. One is: you have a soul. The other is: if you don't look after this one you won't be issued a replacement. Bestselling author John Ortberg writes another classic that will help readers discover their soul and take their relationship with God to the next level.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Spirituality, Religion

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2014

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

John's one of my favorite authors. His book, The Life You've Always Wanted, had a significant impact on me. Soul Keeping was fantastic as well. Here are some takeaways:

Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.

Arrange your days so that you experience total contentment, joy and confidence in your everyday life with God.

I am responsible to take care of my soul not just for my own sake. The condition of my soul will affect the people around me, just as when my body is sick it can infect others who get too close.

Our souls are on loan to us. One day, God will review with us what our souls have become.

The next time you are dissatisfied speak to your soul, "Why are you afraid, O my soul?"

Sometimes the smallest acts of sacrifices or self-denial can break up hard soil. Make small sacrifices.

Page 151. Ruth Graham. When Ruth Graham died she chose to have engraved on her gravestone words that had nothing to do with her remarkable achievements. It had to do with the fact as long as we are alive, God will be working on us. She had been driving one day along a highway through construction. She finally came to the end of the long construction road where there was a sign which read, "End of construction. Thank you for your patience." That's what is written over Ruth Graham's grave: End of construction. Thank you for your patience."

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open-heart surgery. That's the best way I can describe my experience reading this book.
Ortberg is one of the authors that I appreciate most, for his gift of tackling deep and important matters of faith in an encouraging, authentic manner.
But this book resonated with me at a whole different level. It has awakened in me a fresh hunger for Christ and a renewed realization of just how much I need Him. It redirected my eyes and soul to Jesus.
Very much recommend it. But do note that it's not a lighthearted read, but it definitely is an uplifting one.

[Philip Yancey]

John Ortberg wrote this book as a tribute to his mentor Dallas Willard. Actually, it's a tribute to one of the best preachers of our day: John is transparent, lucid, practical, and insightful.

[Greg Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought was that I wondered why Dallas Willard was a focus when the book was not marketed that way on the cover and title. But then I realized how important it is to connect the main idea of the book with personhood and community, and that was perfectly embodied in the way Ortberg weaved in trips to "Box Canyon" where Willard lived. Willard died in 2013, and the book also details the end of Willard's life and a deathbed commission to Ortberg and friends. The book really explores the Christian, Jewish, and cultural definition and thinking about the soul but does not settle for some nebulous or vague notions about the importance of soul keeping. Soul keeping is the way we come closer to God. We take care of many other things in our lives with more effort than we care for our souls, and Ortberg's call -- that comes from wisdom of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, years of ministry experience, family episodes he relates, and sage mantras from Willard -- is to value the soul as the "unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe." Compares keeping the soul with keeping a stream clear of gunk, trash, pollution so that the stream can carry direct relationship with God. The book has some innovations, such as an abbreviated way of quoting that does not include who said some quotes, which is jarring at first, and no footnotes but first lines of a quote in the back list of footnotes. This unconventional methods are a bit confusing to the average reader, but I can understand that the text reads more easily and unencumbered that way. The book is finally a powerful tribute to a soul-friend and the journey we are on as humans given a soul by the Lover of our souls, the God who made us.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Mom loved this book. Kris gave it three stars. I fell somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed it but it was a little...short.
On the one hand, this is nice. It makes it readable. There are some really interesting thoughts in here and I honestly found a few parts of the book convicting and challenging.
But on the other hand, this didn't really get into a ton of new. Perhaps I read it too fast. It was an interesting introduction to Dallas Willard and I certainly plan to read more by him (and John Ortberg.) But there is only so much depth you can uncover in 208 pages.

[Anne White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I read in 2017. A favourite quote:

"Self is a stand-alone, do-it-yourself unit, while the soul reminds us we were not made for ourselves. The soul always exists before God. So soul is needed for deep art, poetry, and music...Innately we know that the self is not the soul, even as we do everything we can to preserve it."

[Amanda Tranmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT. Surprised me and completely exceeded my expectations! I haven't highlighted a book that much in a decade. Just wow. So good. Stirring. Enlightening. Inspiring. Probably not what you expect. Read it.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I also read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World. There are many similarities and much overlap between these books. Like that book, I think I'm not in the right head space for this. Or perhaps not in the right season of life. I didn't personally connect with the writing. Probably more my fault than the book's fault. To me, it felt like Ortberg was talking around the ideas, rather than actually talking about the ideas. At the same time, I can see why people would appreciate this. Perhaps I should reread this book in twenty years and it would hit me differently.

Also on my bookshelf is Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God.

[Will Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brave and successful attempt at unpacking the one eternal thing of which we have all been given charge. It takes courage to do this, and I am grateful John Ortberg rose to the challenge.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you pick up a book that—without the word-of-mouth reference from a friend—you never would have touched. That was the case for me with Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. BUT I LOVED THIS BOOK. Just, wow. So powerful. John talks about the soul, how we tend to starve it and feed it things that weaken or destroy it. How we focus on the temporal and neglect the eternal. Doing this has a devastating impact on the very essence of who we are. John explains what our souls are, why they matter, and how we can keep them whole and healthy. Our soul is the only thing we get to take with us when we die. We owe it to ourselves to take better care of it. It's a job that only we can do for ourselves. But anytime you care for something, it's best to understand it first.

One of my favorite quotes: "You will never achieve satisfaction if you make the goal of your life satisfaction." And here's another: "I am so wrapped up in the hurt I have received that I don't notice the hurt I inflict." Our souls have been wounded in life's journey, and neglecting those wounds affect the way we treat others.

And this one too: "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."

So, yes. If quality of living and the kind of person you are turning out to be is important to you, read this book. If not, read it anyway. I bet it surprises you.

[Kelsey Grissom · Rating 4 out of 5]

_Soul Keeping_ tends to read like a sermon, but a sermon given by a humble and honest pastor. It is part exploration of the soul, part exploration of sabbath, part celebration of the life and teaching of Ortberg's friend and mentor, Dallas Willard. I was most impressed by Ortberg's honesty about his own life, and found Dallas Willard's words to have a tremendous effect on me, even though they were mediated through Ortberg's writing. A great read for anyone who wants to explore Sabbath, rest, or humility.

[Cheryl Linebarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in awhile, a book grabs me from the very start, and this book did just that! In an age where "self care" is the buzz word in Christian circles and social media, the author's pointing his reader to what it means to care for, and keep, our souls is like a shining beacon! Ortberg explains the concept of soul keeping, what it means, the benefits, and how we can best tend to our own souls. The book was a breath of fresh air, and yet caused me to dig in deep. It's too early in the year to say this is the best book I'll read in 2019, but I know it will certainly be a contender!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You are only able to live in a way that really helps and loves others when your soul feels its worth."

[Hunter Harwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

Sermon content gem!

Attention to anyone who is a quote guru. This is probably the most quotable book I’ve read in a while. Again, not the best writing just since the author makes the book approachable like many Christian authors today, but the amount of applicable material in this book is wild.

Ortberg sets out to define the meaning of soul and what our souls really need. He begins the book with a pretty awesome metaphor that permeates throughout the book which I love. He can get repetitive towards the end but he really has some great pointers. He was one of Dallas Willard’s pupils and it feels like this book is dedicated to Dallas’s influence and wisdom.

Must read for anyone who wants some quotable one-liners.

“The soul was not made for an easy life. The soul was made for an easy yoke.”

“Entitlement grows deep within us. This is why, for the soul, ingratitude is not just a psychological problem. It’s not just an impoverishment of our emotional experience. It’s a sin….. the bigger the sense of entitlement, the smaller the sense of gratitude.”

“My mind may be obsessed with idols; my will may be enslaved to habits; my body may be consumed with appetites. But my soul will never find rest until it rests in God.”

[Beth Easter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dallas Willard fanfic

[David Caskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When your soul is at rest, your will is undivided and obeys God with joy. Your mind has thoughts of truth and beauty. You desire what is wholesome and good".

A book layered with such helpful insights into what makes the soul so God given and created. An explanation of how to protect and develop this outstanding work of art that lives within each of us. A clear guideline of why rest urgently needs to exist in a world of hurry and objectives to ensure our soul doesnt grow weary .

[Patrick Poteet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Still thinking about this one.

[Tanner Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a formative book for me. As someone who tends to hurry through his days with his to-do list constantly in the back of his mind, this book offered a reprieve from that kind of rushed, anxiety-inducing lifestyle. This book reoriented my perspective to one that is life-giving to the soul: that I must arrange my days so that I am experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in my everyday life with God.

How many moments of my life today can I fill with conscious awareness of and surrender to God's presence?

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered a great explanation the soul's purpose and function, and a shame-free exploration of what often gets in the way of both. A reminder about what's most important, and a re-centering back on that.

[Tanusha Attanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic resource for anyone wanting to explore more about what soul care looks like biblically! This nourished my soul greatly and gave me some tracks to run on when thinking about rhythms of rest in my life.

[Hannah Fuhrmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many nuggets to ponder on and I read the book at the right time. It is well with my soul 🥰

[Mike Riddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demolished this book in one sitting as it was gripping and captured my attention. But this wasn’t because the book was engrossing like something from the ‘thriller’ genre. Rather, what I read had a soothing and drawing in effect- kind of like leaning back into a warm bath or spa.

All florally personal experiences aside- this book was great.

Has a great introductory treatise on the complicated concept of the ‘soul’.
A great diagnosis, prognosis and treatment is offered on the longing our souls have for God. As Augustine said, “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You, God.”

This book reminded me a lot of ‘Renovation of the Heart’ by Dallas Willard- which shows the influence of Willard on John Ortberg (he’s quoted a lot AND mentored the author)- just with simpler and more laid back vocabulary (which i appreciated).

Would definitely recommend and will refer those in my immediate social circles to it.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read few books that I’ve wanted to immediately read again. However, this is one of them.

Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.

[Igor Putina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me thinking for weeks after reading it. It's a powerful book about the soul, I would recommend it to religious and non religious friends alike.

[Jason Kanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been familiar with John Ortberg's work through talks he has given at the American Association for Christian Counselors and his book The Life You Always Wanted, which surprisingly is not a book of prosperity theology. Because I have been favorably impressed with his work in the past, I was eager to read Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You (2014).

Ortberg is a pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, though he also trained as a clinical psychologist. Each of those facts are important background in this book about caring for the soul. Additionally, Ortberg was profoundly influenced by the work of Dallas Willard who in May last year. In many regards, this book is a festschrift to Willard. Not only are Willard's influences deeply felt, Ortberg went out of his way to weave many stories about the man, a welcome addition.

Essentially, this short book is a study in how we care for the most important part of us our souls. At the outset, Ortberg seeks to define the soul so that the reader is able to proceed from a place of common understanding. Once he establishes what the soul is, he moves on to reviewing what the soul needs and eventually how the soul is restored.

There were a few things that I particularly appreciated about this book. First, Ortberg does a commendable job of differentiating between the soul and the self. So often in modern thinking about mental health, we think only about the self, which Ortberg suggests is misguided. Rather, we should focus on the soul, which defines who we are in relation to God. In the world of Christian psychology where I do some reading and writing, this is an important distinction.

Second, Ortberg effectively weaves in his understanding of the importance of spiritual disciplines. As one deeply influenced by Willard and involved in the Renovare conferences, he views disciplines as important. He discusses these in more depth in his book The Life You Always Wanted, though here they find an organic place.

Finally, I really liked the last two chapters. Essentially, these deal with his final interactions with Dallas Willard. He discusses suffering and what he thinks it looks like to die well, looking at Willard as a model.

On the whole, I would strongly recommend this book. I wish more "Christian psychology" and soul care would look like this book. It is deeply relational, hopeful, and grounded in the truth of the gospel.

I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Look Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Adam Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When talking about the soul honesty is paramount. Who wants trite advice when it comes to the deepest part of who you are? Ortberg does us a huge favor by being unbelievably honest about his own personal journey to help us along our own. His friendship with his mentor Dallas Willard forms the framework of the book, which might seem weird at first. You might assume this would mean it's more of an homage or a biography. It's not. Willard is the biggest force in shaping and forming Ortberg's soul journey in Christ and so it's natural and fitting that this friendship, from beginning to end, would help shape the book. But it gets better. Ortberg is remarkably candid about his own failures as a soul in process. It's refreshing and relieving to hear that great spiritual guides and minds have the same struggles that the rest of us do. And these aren't the "I had a bad thought once" kind of confessions. I was truly moved and encouraged by his candor. As well as challenged. Am I being that transparent?

But the main thrust of the book is to help us understand our lives as souls. We ignore this aspect of our lives so often that language like this sounds fairly arcane. But it's not. To grow at all in Christ means that we must understand ourselves in this way and that we must take responsibility for how we treat and care for our souls in the same way that we reap the consequences, positive or negative, for the way we take care of our bodies. We cannot hear this encouragement too often.

I give this one 5 stars not because it's a masterpiece or will be around forever. It might not. But for the impact it can give to a wide ranging audience in the smallest time possible I have read few books that are better. i would definitely pick this one up.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

At church, we did this study by watching the video and answering a couple questions during discussion time. At home, I read the book and finished the study guide. I learned a lot from the this study about the soul. The book and study are very focused on Dallas Willard, so if you like him, you'll enjoy this. My biggest take away was to slow down: hurry is one of the greatest enemies of the soul.

[Katie Axelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended from some pastors. I’m not a big John Ortberg fan and in this book the amount of time he talked about Dallas Willard in comparison to the amount of time he talked about Jesus left me with a weird taste in my mouth. However, I did appreciate a lot of what he said.

[Simon Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this on holiday. Absolutely superb. Would highly recommend for anyone who leads a busy life and ministry. Great quote from Dallas Willard, ‘Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.’

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Topic is great. I would have like to have seen more application help of how to do some of the things he talks about in the book. The last chapters of the book are far better than the beginning.