My Center

At the risk of sounding a bit ‘new age’, I decided to name this page “My Center” because Jesus is at the very heart of all that I am.  The best of me is brought out when I keep Him at the center of it all.  For a glance at what I believe, read Foundation of My Faith.

Spirit, Soul, and Body

When I first accepted Jesus, my home church shared a concept about our human make-up that has stuck with me for decades.  The visual was that of a target, a bullseye, with the spirit being the inner most rung.  As I’ve walked through life, and even more so now that I seek to be a counselor, I have developed a level of self awareness that has often brought me back to this make-up.

We Are Spirit

The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath (spirit) of life,
and man became a living being.  – Genesis 2:7
  • This is the essence of who we are.  We are only capable of knowing God, and communing with Him in our spirit.
  • We existed as spirit in eternity with God.
  • Our identity is found in God.
  • To understand our purpose, we must seek to know God, and understand that He designed us with all (gifts, abilities, etc.) that we need to fulfill that purpose.
  • In order to know God and have a relationship with Him, we have to address the gap created by sin.

We Have a Soul

My soul is downcast within me… – Psalm 42:6
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me…  – Psalm 103:1
  • Consists of the mind, will, and emotions
  • Thoughts drive beliefs, which in turn influence behaviors (state of mind)
  • Our will is often driven by our desires
    • Multiple wills influence our lives: God’s will, our own will, and the world’s (enemy’s) will.
  • Emotions have the ability to overrule reason, and can control the entire soul to the benefit or detriment of all else.

We Live In a Body

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you… – I Corinthians 6:19
  • Our flesh suit, so-to-speak.  It is sensitive to our external surroundings, and completely buys into whatever it is feeling.
  • We need to be good stewards of our body because 1) it houses the Spirit of God, and 2) we only get one, we can’t manufacture new parts…per se.
  • Our body is intricately designed; it has needs that we need to be aware of, but not driven by (rest, food, water, etc).  It has limitations (weakness and vulnerability).  It likes pleasure and comfort, and has desires of its own.