Transforming the Soul

“We simply have to rest in his life as he gives it to us. Knowledge, from Christ, that he is good and great, enables us to cast outcomes on him. We find this knowledge in the yoke of Christ. Resting in God, we can be free from all anxiety, which means deep soul rest. Whatever our circumstance, taught by Christ, we are enabled to ‘rest [be still] in the Lord and wait patiently [or longingly] for Him.’ We don’t fret or get angry because others seem to be doing better than we are, even though they are less deserving than we.” - Dallas Willard, excerpted from Renovation of the Heart

Psalm 1 and Chapter 11 of Renovation of the Heart describe what Dallas Willard terms, “a flourishing life.” This life is characterized primarily by what the righteous do not do. As Dallas remarks, “He does not determine his course of action by what those without God are saying—even their latest brilliant ideas. That is, he does not live as if God does not exist nor make plans from within strictly human understanding. He plans on God.”

For many, life is marked by constant anxiety, or a desire to achieve more, or a feeling like they have been robbed or cheated. A flourishing life seems at best improbable and at worst impossible. Upon evaluating their lives, many would find that they are living as if God doesn’t exist, or at least as if he doesn’t have a plan. They rely entirely on their own abilities to bring them fulfillment.

The Psalm 1 flourishing life and the restored soul of Psalm 23 start by relinquishing our reliance on ourselves and resting in God. Transformation of the soul—which is the sum of the whole person—is less about what we do and more about what we do not do. It requires a posture of rest, reliance, and a firm realization that God is great, good, and active.

Reflection

Pause to reflect on God’s power compared to your own ability to generate outcomes. Identify some outcomes that you need to release to God.

Prayer

Father, teach my soul to rest in you—in what you are doing and have done—instead of working to accomplish things on my own.