WEEK 9
TOPIC: The Nature of Man (Part 5) – The Human Soul.
TEXT: Heb. 4:12
Having explored the subject of the human spirit, we shall now begin a study on the human soul. The first we’ve got to understand is that the human spirit and the human soul are not the same. Although they are sometimes interused in the bible, the context will help us know which of them is being referred to. The clearest scripture that gives us this insight is Heb. 4:12 which says “…The word of God is quick and powerful…The dividing sunder of the Soul and Spirit..” This clearly tells us that the soul and the spirit are human spirit is the real person as we already know that man is a spirit. The human soul is the faculty through which the human spirit expresses himself in the psychological realm. What the five senses are to the body, the soul is to the spirit.
The human soul is the seat of the mind, the will, and the emotions of man. These three components make up the soul of man. They have their distinct functions as far as human personality is concerned. It is the soul that gives expression to the character of the spirit. In this lesson, we start looking at the mind.
The Mind
The mind is the center of human intellect. All arts of thinking, reasoning, conceptualizing, imagination etc take place in the human mind. The mind is very important to the human personality because it is the component of man that gives sanity to his personality. When you lose your mind, you lose your sanity. The difference between a mad man on the street and a sane man is that one has lost his mind. In some countries, mad people are not counted during census because the loss of their mind makes them lose value in the society. The mind is the organizer of the human personality and it plays a great role in our walk with God. It is not the brain; the brain is the physical organ located in the head, while the mind is an invisible but real entity in the soul.
The Food of the Mind
The mind has its own food it lives on. The food is called INFORMATION. The mind thrives on information. This information can come from the spirit, the senses which are in contact with the material world. Without information, the mind has nothing to do. Your mind is as developed as the quality of information imputed into it. For example, how did you become a medical doctor? You didn’t suddenly become one, you exposed your mind and concentrated it on a particular kind of information about the human body system for about 6 to 8 years under certain organized structure called school. Then your mind developed along that line of information until crystallized it and now you are a doctor. Somebody else spent that same number of years exposing and concentrating his mind on information about building designs and structures and now he has become an architect. Two people had their minds exposed to different information over the same period of time and they became different things. You see the information is the substance that shapens the mind.
The Working of the Mind
The mind works in a certain way. Its main function is to process information imputed into it and use the information to create system of thought that will in turn shape the personality of the man. The way you are now is a product of the workings of your mind based on the information you have been exposed to all your life. You see why the bible tells us that Satan blinded the minds of unbelievers so the information concerning salvation in Christ called gospel should not enter in (2 cor. 4:4). If that information gets into their mind, their mind could process it and cause them to act on it and receive salvation. That’s why Satan blocks their mind from receiving that information.
Child of God, watch the information you expose your mind to because it can and will eventually affect the programming of your character.
Feed your Mind with the Word
Now that we have seen the power of information on the mind, the best information to expose your mind to is the word of God (Joshua 1:8, Rom. 12:2). When the word of God becomes your principal source of information, your mind will process it and use it to establish a system of thought that is in line with God’s will for your life. That is when your mind becomes renewed and will become a great asset to your human person. A man of God said an unrenewed mind is a liability in the pursuit of destiny.
Be an Avid Reader
Apostle Paul admonished Timothy to give attendance to reading (1 Tim. 4:13). Many people carry a crude mind around because they don’t read. African continent is the worst culprit of this. Reading culture helps your mind become matured in reasoning. Read along the areas of importance to your calling on earth, and also get enlightened generally by diversifying your scope of information. I see your mind becoming a great tool for destiny manifestation in Jesus’ Name.
Points to Note
- The soul and the spirit are not the same.
- The human soul houses the mind, will and emotion.
- Information is the force that shapens the mind.
- It is the soul that gives expression to the human spirit just as the senses do to the body.
Prayers/Declaration
Father, thank you for giving me a sound mind. I declare that as I walk in the light of your word, my mind is being programmed to line up with your wisdom in Jesus’ Name.
Questions for Meditation
- Explain the difference between the human spirit and the human soul?
- Give a brief description of the mind and how it functions?
Take a stock of the information you have been exposed to all your life. Explain how they have affected you as a person?