Nourishing the Inner Man

Guard well your heart, for out of it flow all the issues of life (Prov. 4:23)

In the image above, the far outer circle represents the physical, bodily, man--the one we feed daily with food and comfort: heat when it is cold, coolness when we are too hot, etc. 

The "outer" circle represents what the Greeks called the "psyche," the psychological part of our existence--the intellect and the emotions.  We "feed" our intellectual and emotional selves by what we read and think about.  And we know that whatever dominates our thoughts and emotions will also affect the physical man.  In the Book of Philippians, Paul says this:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things....And the God of peace will be with you.

Now, we know that whatever "feeds" the physical body, no matter how wonderful, cannot soothe the mind and emotions, giving us rest and peace.  Unfortunately, we can go through a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's and still feel restless and empty.  Ultimately, trying to soothe the psyche with food, sex, and the Riveria will lead us to show up on tv's "The Biggest Loser." 

But even "feeding" the psyche with all sorts of guru self-help advice and counseling does not satisfy the inner man, the part of us the Bible calls the "heart," the "soul," or the "spirit."  We cannot think ourselves to peace; we cannot "mantra" our hearts into joy.  The inner man is satisfied only in relationship with God, sustained only by the "peace that passes all understanding," overflowing with joy that the world cannot offer.

The peace offered by the world, the peace we can attain in the outer circle by learning and trying, depends on everything going right; it is shattered by the abandonment of friends, or by a serious illness, or by sudden poverty.  At one time in my life, I attempted to fill the void with yoga and transcendental meditation and by following the practice of Unitarianism.  What I discovered is that I had to "do" the practice to sustain the "peace."  However, sitting in the yoga position and breathing deeply did not work too well in the midst of a household with three young children who needed food and diaper changes. 

Beyond our psyche lies the "heart," the inner man, the soul.  As we cannot feed the emotions and the mind by feeding the body, neither can we feed the soul by "feeding" the mind and emotions.  St. Augustine put it this way:

Our hearts were made for Thee, O Lord, and they are restless til they rest in Thee.

So how do we then nourish the inner man, the soul?  There is only one way:  Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20).

Opening the door and inviting Jesus into our inner man changes everything.  When He comes in, He begins to eat at our table, and we begin to eat at His.  He gives us His own peace and joy that the world cannot offer us.  As we eat the food He offers us-- the food of assurance that we are eternally and unconditionally loved, the food of assurance that God is with us always, the food of assurance that nothing can ever harm us-- the peace and joy of God's own spirit begins to overflow into our minds, hearts, and bodies.  It is a fountain of life to every part of us.  

In turn, Jesus "takes up all the causes of my life" (Lamentations 3:58).  He pursues the enemy too strong for me; He redeems my life from the pit; He sets my feet on high places and draws me clear so that the enemy cannot rejoice over me.  He begins to direct my thoughts, to soothe my emotions, and to direct my feet into the way of peace.  We just have to stay in contact with Him on a daily basis and allow Him to direct us. 

When Abraham left his country and his people to "go to a land I will show you," he had no idea where he would be going.  But daily he "built an altar" to remain in contact with the living God who was directing him.  He nourished his soul even as he nourished his body on the journey.  To neglect either would mean to die in the wilderness.