Symptoms of a Sick Soul

I was watching a YouTube video by Dharius Daniels where he discussed 10 symptoms of a sick soul referencing a book written by John Mark Comer The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

This inspired me to list what they are but to add my experience that led to understanding and healing relating to not only my life but hopefully to others as well. I invite you to click on the link to the Podcast to hear more detail below.

Excessive irritability - lashes out due to needs unfulfilled within you projecting it onto others mostly the people you love – your gift of love builds it up, but your character tears it down.

Hypersensitivity – constructive criticism you act as if it is character assassination. Not realizing the criticism doesn't mean you are weak or is an attack towards you, but we are to use this world and its teachings as a mirror to reflect back to us that we can improve upon the things we do not see about ourselves. If it was just stated by one person maybe it can be disregarded, but if it has been said to you more than once; that is a call for serious review!

Workaholism – attaching your identity to it, once taken away who are you?

Emotional numbness – loss of capacity for empathy, this is where you can review what got you there, and where have you gotten so busy and asleep to notice. This is where it is time to review your circle and what supports your numbness and continually injuring you to maintain the pattern of emotional numbness and in a constant state of protection. People state they are loving you, but conditionally and using you; rather than the unconditional love that is reciprocal aiding your healing to wake you and bring you back to life.

Out of Order priorities – prioritizing someone above you or someone else's problems before your own. There are priorities and if out of balance you will be out of balance. The priority of a relationship to love is placing God and your spirituality first and yourself second ( you are the temple) if you are broken and weighed down, sick, and not caring for your body, you cannot even set boundaries or live to fully express the fruits of the spirit fertilizing your garden. Once you do then your harvest is plenty and fruitful planting new seeds of the fruit of the spirit in others and your environment and all areas of life.

Escapist behaviors - preoccupied with distractions

Slippage of spiritual disciplines – too busy for God, temptation and worldly things, idolatry, tv, friends, club, addictions

Isolation – surrounded by people and still feeling lonely, physically present but emotionally absent. Not fully present but in your cell phones or thoughts.

You created a character to survive in your environment of wounded, toxic, survival-based day-to-day living; choosing what you think will keep you safe, loved, and accepted. Yet all the while on autopilot and ready to shut down, fight, run (fight, flight, freeze, avoid preventing being hurt and bringing you back to times when you had to witness people you love being hurt, talked down to, or you yourself. What do you do? Your mind has to create a character to survive.

What is your soul - the mind, the will, intellect, and the emotion

What about your character are you holding onto and why? Who are you in the times you are no longer in an environment where that character is no longer needed? When a character is created out of sin/fears/ worries/anger what happens when you are safe, you have someone that is safe, an environment where you are safe, loved, valued, and that you matter. Your character and the stories of the traumas flash up when you once believed that and were lied to. You’re mind, body, heart, and soul are not at peace because you have not yet cleansed yourself from those pains, hurts, betrayals, abandonment, rejection, bitterness, or your selfish and sinful ways.

2 Timothy 3:1-17 ESV /

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ...

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Matthew 23:25-26

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also

What areas in you, your thoughts, actions, words, people, books, music, addictions, and environment need inspecting and cleansing? This is where knowledge and understanding from the Bible and Jesus’ teachings became relevant and transforming regarding testing the fruits of the spirit within all areas and aspects of life.

King James Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the ||affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version:

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

In truth, your fruits negative or positive may show and internally feel out of control, you are off of the vine. Having chosen your own path, own methods, own power, and understanding?

Galatians 5:17 King James Version

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

You are at war within yourself and that is where examining yourself internally and externally and all that you ingest, believe, and habits through faith and self-control to purge what was no longer serving you allows you an opportunity to heal. Take it step by step, day by day.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Our understanding is biased, wounded, and broken....we need to pray and lean into God’s understanding to transform and renew our minds and hearts. It's not about doing but being, it's not about resisting rather than submitting, it's not about striving rather than resting and thriving.

2Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Test your heart and test the spirits of others by the fruit of their spirit (actions and consistency)

Matthew 7:15-16

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit .

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

The current environment and view of the world are all you knew, to change would be scary, and places you in a vulnerable state to actually look at the choices you made and the original wounding that created the repetitive patterns and cycles of your life, but this is part of the cleaning process. You cook the meal now you have to scrape the plate and scrub those pots clean. You cannot hire someone to do it; no this is you, No one can take it on or fill up that emptiness until you do then when you add a person into the story you both may not be perfect but you know they’ve worked to clean within and you both know that through the mess they now know how to choose wisely and strong enough to face the challenges in a healthy way individually and together. You know what to invite into your life, and how you may benefit and add to another’s life and they (work, friend, spouse, family) will add and set appropriate boundaries because everyone is in different stages of learning.

Galatians 6:7 Context

4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5For every man shall bear his own burden. 6Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

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Episode: "Symptoms of a Sick Soul" Streamed 01/05/2023