Soul Detox: Devotional
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
Have you ever noticed something lurking under the surface, impacting your relationships, self-esteem, or view of God? It’s something we all deal with. We have tendencies and shortcomings that like to rob us of a life well-lived. We need a Soul Detox.
Nowadays, the word “detox” can mean a lot of things. People might think of products or plans that they find online, or in TV ads. When I think of “detox” I think of a bright green shake. I’m not sure bright green shakes are a part of detoxes, but that’s what I think about.
Before it was co-opted in the recent craze, the word "detox" referred chiefly to a medical procedure that rids the body of dangerous, often life-threatening, levels of alcohol, drugs, or poisons. Patients undergoing a medical detox are usually treated in hospitals or clinics. The treatment generally involves the use of drugs, therapies, and other things to make sure the detox is done in a way that would be best for each individual case.
In other words, a medical detox is a serious matter, that should be done carefully and is essential to someone recovering from high levels of drugs and poisons in their system.
In this series, we’ve been talking about serious stuff too—stuff we think can be a lot like poison, but for the soul. Things like shame and unforgiveness. And like a medical detox, getting them out of your system is not only important, but should be done carefully and with help.
Of course, there are a lot of things we might need to detox from that we can’t cover in this series. What is currently lurking in your soul that you hope to detox from? Regardless of what it is, there are a couple ways to help start the process of getting them out of your system.
Here are some ideas:
First, prayer. Whether you pray regularly or not at all, we encourage you to increase the amount of time you pray. Prayer connects us to the source of life, and can sustain us during the hardest of times.
Second, silence and solitude. We need margin in our lives to be able to deal with the stuff under the surface. Silence and solitude gives our souls time to process and heal.
And finally, don’t do it alone. Join a small group, talk to a friend, and if you haven’t already, see a counselor or spiritual director. We recommend everyone, regardless of what you’re dealing with or not dealing with, to see a counselor at least 2 times a year, just like you would see a doctor, to make sure everything is alright. We weren’t created to do life alone. We need each other.
God wants to do something new in your life, but sometimes the new only comes when we first get out the old. Take time to detox. Take time to allow God’s healing to work through every part of who you are.
Discussion questions:
What is it you want to “detox” from as you start 2019?
Are you enjoying prayer? What does your prayer life look like?
Do you have margin in your life for silence and meditation?
Who are you doing life with, and how much have you shared with them about the things you hope to “detox.”
