Inner renewal is the secret to a life of service in tough circumstances. It’s the secret to not giving up.
The best way we can care for our souls is to be renewed inwardly in his love for us day by day. Every day, day after day.
Daily, for the rest of your life, be intentional to care for your soul by being attentive to God’s presence and aware of God’s love for you. That’s the very best way to nurture your soul.
Walking in the way of Jesus involves restoring our inner devotion. We will have sweet times of fellowship with the Lord when we retreat, but we shouldn’t expect that the intensity of devotion we experience on retreat will stay with us. And we shouldn’t keep looking back to earlier times when we experienced his nearness and just put up with living with a sense of being disconnected today. Thomas Kelly reflects: “But the light fades, the will weakens, humdrum returns. Can we stay this feeling? No, nor should we try…the Eternal Inward Light does not die when ecstasy (our feelings) dies, nor does it exist intermittently…Continuously renewed immediacy, not receding memory of the Divine Touch, lies at the base of religious living.”
The challenge is to learn in our daily practice how to be renewed. A good place to begin is by making a list of those activities that nurture your soul and then be intentional about incorporating them into your day.
“He restores my soul.” Psalm 23
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