Joint Custody

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." - Proverbs 14:12


Ever wonder about the soul? I mean what is it really, is it like our spirit within us? Can it be seen?

Doctor's can't open our bodies up and begin to dissect us in hopes of locating one but the daily battle we wage between good and evil every minute is for the distinct opportunity to chose where we will spend our eternal lives.

I know death isn't something we ever really chose to think about, and hopefully for this generation, Jesus will come back for the church before we ever have to think about putting our bodies in the ground but it may come to that.

Where will you chose to spend your eternity?

Will it be with Jesus Christ in eternal bliss in Heaven?

Or will it be with the devil in eternal torment in Hell?

There is no option C and quite honesty, option B shouldn't even be one to consider. Yet often times we spend our lives here on Earth with the thought that only our eternal lives matter and if we suffer in this one, well so be it.

We each have only one soul. We will not get another. This is the only life we will live - so let's live it well. In living well, we honor God, honor every facet of our souls, and see that the life that Jesus offers us really is a life of "robust sanity." Soul care is living with the end in mind but also living well now.

Every single person who feels more dead than alive, more tired than energized, more burned-out than motivated, more unfulfilled than thriving is a soul in need - a soul who needs to be cared for.

The Chinese have two characters for the English word busyness, which they define as heart annihilation. We're killing ourselves with all our busy, busy, busy. One of the reasons for overwhelming amount of annihilation around us and in us is that the sin of busyness is very subtle. It's a subtle sin because busyness is validated, applauded, and affirmed everywhere and sometimes especially among Christians.

Why should we lose our lives in vain attempts to live? For me, caring for my soul has been a journey to reclaim my life - the life I want to live and the life I was intended to live. By choosing to live in live-giving ways, my own life is being healed, cured, and restored.

Taking custody of your own soul is all about being mindful of your soul and your God, your life and your future, your heart and what it's beating for - whether for the sacred or only for what is of this world. Being mindful of your soul simply requires loving the Lord your God will all of your heart and mind. Sometimes loving God is easier than mindfully choosing to live in ways that are life giving not heart annihilating.

Soul custody is taking back what we've almost lost in order to gain what we should never want to lose. It's doing what the word custody implies - taking responsibility for souls and hearts. This is our sacred privilege.

Of course we really share joint custody of our souls with God. But we can be sure that He will do His part to look after our soul's well-being. Are we holding up our end of the partnership?

Abdicating our role as the custodian of our own souls is handing over our responsibility to someone or something else who may not have our best interests in mind. You know as well as I that there is always someone who wants to tell s how to live, what to buy, where to go. Relinquishing the God-given role of caring for our souls usually results in the paying of a tremendous price, not once, but throughout life. We can choose to sit down and throw our hands up in surrender, or we can assume the God-given role each of us has in caring for our souls. The choice is ours to make.

What will your choice be, soul custody or joint custody?