A Good Time To Think About Your Soul

By: Gary L. Hutchens

​   This is a good time to think about your soul.  When?  Right now.  Many people would think that statement probably has something to do with the holiday season.  After all, a few weeks ago we celebrated the Thanksgiving Day holiday.  That certainly sounds as though it has spiritual overtones, and for many people it does.  They focus on all of the blessings God has bestowed upon them, and they make a special effort to give Him thanks.  That’s a good thing.

​   In a few days many people will celebrate the physical birthday of Jesus, even though He almost certainly was not born on that day.  Though the Bible does not say when He was born, nor does it instruct us to celebrate His physical birthday in some special way, many people will have a spiritual focus on that day that may be missing in their lives most of the rest of the year.
   In a little less than two weeks we will celebrate New Years Day, a day that marks new beginnings.  Based on that concept many people will make all kinds of spiritually focused resolutions.  The follow through may be short-lived in many cases, but that initial focus is a good thing.  And, some will dedicate themselves to make their resolution become reality.
   Without question, this is a time of year that seems to spur many people to think more about their spiritual lives.  Personally, I’m thankful when anything motivates a person to focus on his spiritual life, for by doing so he may become receptive to the teachings of God’s word. As he learns those teachings he can apply them to his life and find forgiveness and eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.  His life can literally change for the better.
   This is a good time to think about your soul.  But I’m not referring exclusively to the holiday season.  My reference is to the immediate moment.  Right now, whatever time of year it might be, is a good time to think about your soul.  Paul put it succinctly when he wrote, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).  Right now is a good time to think about your soul.  It doesn’t matter what day or what month it is.  It doesn’t matter what time of day it is.  Right now is a good time to think about your soul.
   Speaking realistically, right now is the only time of which you are assured.  Yesterday, an hour ago, even a minute past is already gone, forever gone, unable to be called back.  Tomorrow, an hour from now, even the next minute is still somewhere in the future, and the future is uncertain.  That time may come, but it may not.  If it does come, you don’t know what it might hold.  But right now is here.  You have right now before you.  You can do something with the time you have right now.  But before you know it, the time you have before you right now will be gone along with all of the opportunities that it holds.
   You live your life expecting to see another right now, and then another and then another, one after another in an endless succession.  But somewhere along the line your right now’s will run out.  No more of them will come your way.  You will have no more opportunity to think about your soul in such a way as to be able to change things.  How many more right now’s do you have?  Don’t know?  Could be a million.  Or, it could be just a few.  Facing that reality should hasten you to conclude that right now is a good time to think about your soul.  In fact, right now is not only a good time, it is the right time to think about your soul...