Power over the soul…
My friend Lisa Bevere expressed it best when she said that for centuries women have “wrestled and waged war with the sons of Adam in attempt to get them to bless us and affirm our value. But this struggle has left us frustrated at best…In the end, it is all a senseless and exhausting process in which both parties lose. It is not the fault of the sons of Adam; they cannot give us the blessing we seek, and we have frightened them by giving them so much power over our souls… (pg. 13)
The Power of A Praying Woman, Stormie Omartian
Where do I first go to get my needs met? What do I first turn to when I’m lonely, aching, & desperate inside? Who do I allow first to have power over my soul?
I have been challenged to ask myself these questions this past week. I have to admit I don’t really like my answers too much. When crying or in any kind of pain, I immediately want to run to people. I want to do anything I can to avoid hurting, so I pick up the phone or make plans in order to avoid being alone. Not that it’s wrong to turn to friends, I mean we were created to live in community with others right? But, I’ve begun to ask myself why is it that I can’t first run to God?
Maybe it’s good to be alone, maybe it’s in those painful moments he most wants to speak, to be intimate, to be close? Maybe expecting my emotional needs to be met in running to my mom, best friend, or a man in my life will actually leave me more disappointed or frustrated? Maybe my expectations for fulfillment should and can only be ultimately satisfied in my maker?
…We must learn that the blessings we truly need only come from God…We will never be happy until we make God the source of our fulfillment and the answer to our longings. He is the only one who should have power over our souls.
What or who has captured yours?
