It all happened so fast, relatively unexpected and it seemed to go so smoothly until it didn’t.

The first night in our “new house” my husband couldn’t sleep. It had been an extremely stressful day with some unexpected twists and developments that left us reeling with confusion. It was like a dense fog consuming what had seemed so clear. He had gone down to the basement in the wee hours of the morning, gazing out the window, looking at the deer behind the house. The light was shining just right, in a way that exposed something we had not noticed. The paint on the windowsill looked off, something was not right. He reached down to get a closer look and when his finger touched it, it went right through, exposing damage hidden beneath the surface.

Termites, hidden beneath the surface, sought to devour our beautiful home. Termites go about their destruction in a way that is so hidden, invisible. Things on the outside appear good with no real evidence of the destruction taking place behind the wall…until there are signs, signs that are ignored or touched up. We mask or cover for fear of what we will find.

It reminds me of how we often handle the human soul. We work hard to keep things looking good on the outside. Hidden behind our driven, high performance, beautiful “I’ve got it all together” images. Veiled behind our well-edited social media posts. Our outward appearance seems to mask the deep issues of our soul.

It’s often the things that seem so concealed that do the most damage. Hidden destroyers like unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, fear, anxiety, unhealthy attachments, inner vows and judgments wreak havoc on our souls and distance us from a life giving relationship with Christ. Even something such as hurry can be extremely destructive to our souls. All of these keep our focus on self, outward things or people. Left unattended, will do tremendous damage in our souls as well as our relationship with God and others.

The condition of our soul significantly impacts our ability to connect with God and others.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

 “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

 Reflect and Respond

 Take a few minutes to quiet your soul. Eliminate the frantic hurry of your day. Take a deep breath. Connect with the heart of God. Allow him to show you what needs to be attended to within your soul. Paying attention to your inner world, write briefly on each of these. Follow God’s leading and let him reveal what needs tending in your soul.

• What are the hidden destroyers that are causing damage in your soul, your connection to God and others: unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, fear, anxiety, an unhealthy attachment, inner vows, judgments, hurry, etc?

Write down whatever God brings to your mind about these hidden areas.

• What are you holding that God is asking you to release to him?
• Release it to him.
• What is God speaking to you?

Let God speak to you right where you are. In the stillness, know that He is God. “He restores my soul and revives my life.” (Psalm 23:3, Passion)

This blog was originally posted on http://womeninministry.tumblr.com