First the Spirit: Right Alignment of Spirit, Soul, and Body

From a Biblical perspective of our human nature, we are "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Understanding each dimension of our being and how each is to relate to the others, according to God's created order, is a strategic key of the Kingdom of God. Come take hold of this key that will revolutionize and revitalize your spiritual journey!

Our human spirit should abide in deep communion with God's Holy Spirit. Then our human spirit-infused and led by the Holy Spirit-should direct the mind, will, and emotions of our human soul, which should manifest in the health and well-being of our human bodies.All is well with my soul when all is well with my spirit. All is well with my body when all is well with my soul. But for all to be well, we must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to correctly align our spirit and soul and body: First the spirit. Then the soul. Then the body.

As we'll discover, looking more deeply into these three dimensions of our being, when we're correctly aligned with the human spirit first, we will live out our daily journey with more spiritual health and growing maturity, fulfilled with more peace and joy, walking in the wisdom of God instead of the ways of the world.In right alignment, my human spirit which is receiving my sense of guidance and discernment by abiding in communion with God's Holy Spirit, directs my soul. My soul is my mind, will, and emotions. So my spirit should direct my mind and how I think, my will and the choices I make, my emotions and how I sense and feel and experience the world around me. Then then my soul should direct my body.In right alignment, my body manifests what's going on in my soul and my soul manifests what's going on in my spirit, and my spirit manifests my abiding relationship with God's Holy Spirit. First the spirit. Then then the soul. Then the body. This is what I call "Spiritual Alignment" or walking out my spiritual journey as a "Spiritual Christian."

But the trouble is that much of the time we tend to live out our daily lives in a different order than God's created order. Instead of living in right alignment, we're living out of alignment. First the soul, instead of first the spirit. First the soul. Then the spirit. Then the body. This is what I call "Soulish Alignment" or walking out my spiritual journey as a "Soulish Christian."

In that wrong order, when I'm out of proper alignment, I am more "soulish" than "spiritual" and all will not be well with my soul. In the "soulish" alignment, I'll be driven more by my own desires in the mind, will, and emotions of my soul rather than humbling myself to be led by God's Holy Spirit directing my human spirit. When I'm in a "soulish" alignment, my mind will insist on my own thoughts instead of yielding to God's thoughts. My human freewill will insist on my own will instead of yielding to God's will. And my emotions will insist on driving my actions by reacting from my soul instead of responding by the leading of my spirit being led by God's Holy Spirit."

Whether my spirit is "on top" and in charge, directing my soul, or whether my soul is "on top" and in charge, suppressing my spirit, makes all the difference. And as we'll see, alignment is everything.The good news is that by the grace of God we can recognize it when we're being more "soulish" than "spiritual" and make a choice to humble our souls to come back into right alignment of spirit, soul, and body.

By far, this has become one of the most revolutionary insights of my spiritual journey.And as I've shared these principles of this book through the years, I've heard so many testimonies of these simple insights becoming life-changing for men and women at all stages of their spiritual journey to Christ-like maturity. That's why I'm thrilled to share them with you!