What is the soul?

What is the soul? Or maybe, who is the soul? Perhaps it's helpful to determine how the word has been defined by mankind. In the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary, the word for soul is defined as life, person, breath. The Hebrew word Nephesh is further described as the man himself, or we might say individual (as was a common old English usage of the word).

Although the usage of a word can drastically alter how we might describe it, however there are some words we don’t need to look up to understand – even if we don’t fully understand it.

When it comes to things we feel, we may not always understand how to describe the feeling, but we recognize it as something. Similarly, there is something within us that recognizes what our soul is regardless of how someone defines it. “We just know it deep within our soul.”

If Nephesh, soul, simply means life, then all living things have a soul. Is that important? Going back to Jesus’ summation of the scriptures in the iconic passage found in Matthew 22:37-39, we can see the importance our soul’s engagement into the things of God and things he created. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with  all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

We are therefore commanded to love life (Nephesh). 1 Peter 3:8-12 describes how the soul should be part of our nature. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Hopefully we can see why loving God with our whole soul is key to showing love towards others. As an introduction into the nature of our soul, perhaps focusing on how my love for all life will be what helps my soul to thrive and be the part of me that God delights in.