Fat Soul

Even in our tolerant society, describing someone as fat is usually perceived in a negative sense. It is just not polite to refer to someone as ‘fat.’

However, in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament ’fat’ was sometimes used to communicate fullness or satisfaction or good health. That was Solomon’s meaning in a proverb contrasting laziness and diligence:

(Made with Hotpot AI Image Generator)

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,

But the soul of the diligent is made fat. 

--Proverbs 13:4

Humans understand cravings.

I once worked in an office setting in which a few of us would take our lunch together. We never watched the clock because one of my coworkers had an internal ‘lunch clock’ that went off at exactly 11:30 every day. He would pop up out of his chair, exit his office, stand in my doorway and “Ding, ding, ding!” an imaginary triangle. It was chow time.

We understand cravings. But what does the 'soul' crave?

A human being is made of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Each aspect of the human being has its own cravings.

The 'body' craves food and drink, climate controlled environments, general comfort without pain, good health and a measure of strength, good looks, sexual satisfaction, rest, and maybe other things.

The 'spirit' consists of the intellect, emotion and the human will. There are cravings associated with each aspect of our spirit. The spirit craves knowledge and understanding, happiness and emotional stability, success and a sense of accomplishment, desires representing each of the three primary aspects of the spirit.

The human 'soul' is the ‘self.’ When God created mankind, He made man a “living soul.” The soul IS the person that you are. Your parents named your soul, not your body. When you refer to yourself you are referring to your soul. When someone calls your name, it is your soul being addressed. Your soul possesses your body and your spirit.

The soul is that aspect of your being that makes the ultimate choices in your life. Your body and spirit are influencers of the soul. Of course, the soul may allow the body to take charge; may allow the spirit to take charge. In general, these are poor choices because the body and spirit are generally interested only in satisfying the natural cravings they each perceive.

The proverb contrasts a soul lacking self-control with a disciplined soul. The soul desires something, presumably something good. Yet, lacking self-control, the lazy soul does not act. The ‘wanting’ is present, but the soul is weak and gives in to the influences of the body or the spirit.

However, the soul has the capacity to rule the body and refrain from giving in to its cravings. That is how a person curbs his appetite, engages in undesirable exercise, etc. The soul also has the capacity to quiet the cravings of the spirit. It is a matter of recognizing that which is of real importance and then accepting that as the greater value.

When the soul is diligent in pursuing things of real value, it engages self-control over the cravings of body and spirit. The result is a fat soul, that is, a soul that is satisfied or full, a soul fulfilling the more valuable choice. 

In the Proverbs the more valuable choices are wisdom, righteousness, justice, kindness, responsibility, etc. These are all characteristics of God. It sounds odd, but you should ‘fatten yourself’ on God’s character. 

Be wise.

Mark Stinnett

March 22, 2026

How Do You Love God?

The last four blog entries have been about different aspects of the Greatest Command:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
—Mark 12:30 (NASB95)

As a teen we had a few cliché answers when asked about heart, soul, mind and strength:

• Heart = Emotions
• Soul = Inner being (whatever that is)
• Mind = Intellect
• Strength = Physical

Those associations might carry an element of truth, but they didn’t translate to daily life. I wish someone had pointed us to the example of King Josiah! (See last week’s blog entry.)

Now, did you notice the extreme repetition?

Jesus could have given us the short list: heart, soul, mind and strength. Yet, the repetition of and places emphasis on every single element in the list. Love God with all your heart…
   ...and that’s not all; there’s more...soul…
   ...and that’s not all; there’s more...mind…
   ...and that’s not all; there’s more...strength.

And it is not just that you love God with your heart, soul, mind and strength, but...

• ALL your heart and...
• ALL your soul and...
• ALL your mind and...
• ALL your strength.

So, how does that translate to daily life?

First, love is not a mere emotion. Love is a conscious choice desiring a relationship.

The one who loves God has made a conscious decision to pursue a relationship with God. He will do whatever it takes to initiate and maintain that relationship. It is an intentional decision that becomes the filter through which all perceptions, thoughts, life decisions, purpose, daily choices, speech and behaviors pass. It is a resolute and determined choice that generates a deep conviction that cannot be shaken.

Your love for God governs your relationship with family, not vice versa. God rules in your choice of career and the individual jobs you take, the friends you make, the way you spend your money, and even the way you vacation.

The threat of losing your relationship with God keeps you from being lax about sin. It cools your anger, encourages patience, curbs coarse language, removes envy and jealousy, dampens temptations to lie, steal, cheat, gossip and lust.

Your love for God gives you energy in life. He motivates you to get out of bed, to look at each new day with awe and wonder, to enjoy life in contentment without coveting the lives and possessions of others. Your love for God gives you purpose in your dead-end job, in your unfulfilling relationships, and in your mundane life.

Your love for God turns your listless daydreaming into thoughtful actions for others. Your love for God doesn’t let youth hold you back, doesn’t let the busy years exhaust you, and doesn’t let age wear you down. Regardless of your age, health, income, position, education and all else, your love for God moves you to love others.

Your love for God compels you to bow in awe and to stand in praise. You listen to Jesus because you love God. You embrace God’s people because you love God and they love God. Your love for God defines you, and you don’t worry about what other people think or how you look.

Your love for God gives you insight into this life and a vision of hope that peers into eternity!

Mark Stinnett

April 25, 2921

Do You Love God With All Your Soul?

 

Define soul.

The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

 —Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95)

That tells me that if I want to learn something about the soul and how it differs from the spirit, I should open my Bible instead of consulting the dictionary. Here are some things I found when trying to better understand soul.

The Hebrew word for soul is often translated with a personal pronoun: I, my, myself, you, yourself, anyone, them, themselves, etc.

In both Old and New Testaments soul is often translated life. This is different than spirit, which is breath or life essence. Soul seems to be more the essence of being.

In the creation sequence (Genesis 1) and in the instruction following the flood (Genesis 9), living creatures were literally living souls, and that includes bugs, birds, beasts and fish.

Next, consider Genesis 2:7.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Literally, “man became a living soul.”

Consider also Leviticus 17:11, an explanation following a prohibition of eating blood:

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.

Literally, “the soul of the flesh is in the blood” and “it is the blood by reason of the soul that makes atonement.”

I’m not sure that it means that the soul is literally in our blood any more than we think that our emotions are literally in our hearts. Yet, there is a connection between soul and blood!

The soul…

• Experiences bitterness;
• Is knit to another in love;
• Can be troubled, grieved, tormented;
• Gains knowledge and understanding through life’s experiences;
• Has appetite and hunger not associated with the physical body, i.e., good desires and evil desires (lust);
• Rejects and abhors things;
• Can sin, swear, act unfaithfully;
• Bears guilt and receives punishment;
• Can also be purified and saved for eternity.

The soul is the essence of our human being describing our identity. It incorporates our will, intent, desire. The soul is that part of our being that chooses.

In Colossians 3:23 the Apostle Paul wrote:

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.

Heartily is literally, from the soul.

God desires your love from the very essence of your being. It is love by choice. It is intentional love. It is love that is resolute, determined, and unwavering. It is by your will that you love.

Jesus said,

Love the Lord your God with all your soul.

Mark Stinnett

April 4, 2021