Parenting on PointSample

Loving God with All Your Soul

The soul represents our spiritual life—our innermost being that communes with God. Early in our marriage, Grace and I hit a hard season. Ministry pressures and parenting challenges left us drained. I realized I had been neglecting my soul. One day, I took my Bible and journal and went to a quiet place. Reading Psalm 42, I saw that my soul was thirsty for God. That started a new habit—setting aside time weekly to hike, pray, worship, and let God fill my soul.

This changed everything. Every facet of life, especially parenting, is a spiritual workout. If we neglect our soul, we run dry. But when we prioritize God, we become better parents, spouses, and people. Even small steps—like reading a Psalm, praying in the car, or listening to worship while doing chores—can refill your soul.

As parents, we’re the primary spiritual leaders of our kids. They need to see us loving God with our soul—praying, worshiping, and making church a priority. Jesus did this often, pulling away to be with the Father. We must do the same.

Grace turned laundry into prayer time, meeting with the Lord amid socks and baseball uniforms. That laundry room became her prayer closet. Our souls thrive when we serve others, too. Invite your kids into prayer, worship, and Bible reading. Around the dinner table or at bedtime, talk about thankfulness, needs, and what God is doing.

Sometimes, our souls grow weary because we carry burdens we were never meant to carry. Journal with God. Release guilt, fear, shame, and regret—Jesus took your punishment and loves to forgive and restore.

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your spiritual walk. Don’t fall into a routine without a relationship. At our house, we have a little saying: “We don’t have to; we get to!” We don’t have to read the Bible—we get to meet with God and hear from Him. We don’t have to pray—we get to talk and listen to our Father. We don’t have to worship God—we get to sing to the Lord with joy and be filled with the Holy Spirit, like we were created to! A healthy soul is a gift we receive, not a burden we carry.

Dear Father, thank you for giving me a soul so that I can live a Spirit-filled life. Please help me to love You with all my soul. Draw me closer to You each day and fill me with Your Spirit. Let my spiritual life overflow into my home so that my children may know You better. I covenant to bring joy to our home so that we can grow in having healthy souls. In Jesus' name, Amen.