Rueben Job, a profound writer on the spiritual life, once wrote: “The care of the soul is a lifelong practice that is often relegated to second or even last place in our lives. We are so immersed in the demands of our noisy world that we can easily ignore the chronic emptiness deep within. That emptiness ranges from a dull ache on the edge of our awareness to a sharp pain calling all of our
attention to itself. As Pascal has said: “Only God can fill a God-shaped emptiness.” And only God can remove the ache of our soul.”
attention to itself. As Pascal has said: “Only God can fill a God-shaped emptiness.” And only God can remove the ache of our soul.”
This is another way of saying: “Set your hearts on God’s kingdom (that is, God’s will/desire/pleasure) first, and on God’s saving justice, and all these other things (the things that we really need for life and happiness) will be given you as well.” (Jesus in Matthew 6:33). But as Rueben Job reminds us, this is a lifelong practice that we often downgrade to an option rather than an essential. How would our lives change if we saw this care of the soul as the primary goal and focus of our lives? As the demand that needs to be tended to above the demands of our noisy world? It requires, at least it does for me, a reorientation of the way I see my life and the world around me. Just as I suffer when I don’t get enough sleep, exercise, or eat the right way, so my soul aches, my heart cries, my vision gets distorted and twisted and things begin to come unglued and all because I have lost the focus, the central thing that is intended by the Creator to hold my life together – a relationship with God that is personal, intimate and growing. And that only happens when I am intentional about cultivating this relationship through regular worship, prayer, Bible reading, silence, and service – those spiritual “disciplines” that attune my life to the presence, power, and grace of God. Instead of trying to fill a God-shaped emptiness with things, achievements, friends, activities and whatever else there is that isn’t God, I need to realize that only God, who is most clearly seen in Jesus, a God of unconditional love and complete forgiveness, a God of tenderness and compassion, only this God can ultimately and fully satisfy the hunger that I have for authenticity and LIFE. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who trust in him!” (Psalm 34:8)
