In our last question, we learned that human beings are made up of two different parts. We have bodies that we can see and touch (and smell, if we haven’t had a bath recently). And we have souls/spirits, which we can’t see or touch or smell, no matter how long it’s been since we took a bath!

But how can we know exactly what a soul is like? After all, we can’t take a picture of it. We can’t examine it closely under a microscope. We can’t touch, taste or smell it! Left to ourselves, we would have absolutely no clue what a soul is! Thankfully, we don’t have to wander around in the dark looking for an answer. Why? Because we have the God-breathed words of our Bibles to help us understand!

Out of all the commands in the Bible, Jesus explained that one is more important than all the rest. In Matthew 22:37, he tells us that command: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Did you notice what Jesus tells us to do with our souls? We are to love God with them.

Remember, our souls are the invisible inside part of us that makes us… us. We aren’t just meat machines that move through the world simply reacting to stuff that happens around us. We are also invisible souls. And because we have souls, we can think deep thoughts, feel strong emotions, and choose between right and wrong.

Ephesians 3:16-17 explains, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being (your soul), so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Human beings aren’t just “outer beings.” We’re more than just bodies. We have “inner beings” as well – our souls! And the reason God gave us our inner beings is so we can know him, love him, and bring him glory! There’s no way a soul-less machine of meat could ever give glory to God in the way that a body-and-soul human being can!

Mark 8:34-38; Eph. 3:16-19