Read and pause often to think about what is mentioned as it applies to your life.
Place yourself into it, becoming the I's, my's, myself's, and me's.
Meditation on My Soul - the Dwelling Place of God
My Soul is the Dwelling Place of God.
Let me consider each of these questions and the discussion that follows each one of them.
How inviting am I for God to come in? Have I ever invited God into my soul? God has granted me free will giving me the ability to keep God out of my life. I can also choose to invite Him into my soul to share my life. I can choose to always want him present within my soul.
How often do I chase God out? When I choose to do evil, either through my actions or thoughts, I make my soul unwelcome to God. Do I immediately invite Him back in?
Are there areas in my life where I leave God out? Do I confine God in my life to one day or one hour a week? Do I keep him out of certain activities, such as work or school? God wants to part of my life everywhere and everywhen. Do I let Him?
Do I keep my soul clean and welcoming? I need to periodically examine my soul and look for those areas that are blemishing it. I need to examine the blemishes, find out what is causing them, and work on correcting them. If it is a bad habit, I need to work actively in separating myself from the bad habit. I need to take my sins to God seeking forgiveness and let Him cleanse my soul.
Do I accept that I am created in the image of God and that I am good? Many believe incorrectly that people are innately bad and that Jesus justs coats His Goodness over us. I am created in God's image, innately good and holy. My soul can be a desireable and holy place for God to reside.
My Soul is the Dwelling Place of God.
Let me compare my soul to a dwelling place.
Is my soul a temple for God to dwell in? It is my choice, whether my soul is a beautiful temple to God, a ceaspool of sin, or somewhere in between.
Is my soul a place of peace? It is my choice, whether I foster peace in my life or choose to harbor resentment and anger within me.
Are the doors open for God? Is God welcome in each room? It is my choice of how much of my life is open to God. I can limit God to a few or even no areas in my life or I can open myself totally to Him.
Are the windows open to let in the truth? It is my choice whether I listen to the truth of God or not. I can let myself be illuminated by the truth from the bible, the teachings of the Church, the lives of the saints, and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, or I can choose to remain ignorant and stay in the darkness.
Are the floors clean? It is my choice with what and with whom I associate. People and things that lead me away from God dirty my soul.
Is power flowing? It is my choice if and with what I power my soul. Just like building needs electricity, my soul needs the grace of God through the Eucharist, the other sacraments, and other avenues of God's grace. Do I feed my soul with the graces it needs? Or do I power my soul with worldly things or evil, not satisfying its basic needs?
Do I let others see God residing in me? When I love others, I let them see my soul. The more I let God dwell in my soul, the more others will see God's love for them reflected in me and my actions.
My Soul is the Dwelling Place of God. May God always be welcome in it and find it pleasing to His Eyes.
