“Bless my soul” is a phrase used by millions of people in some form or another in many languages. I would surmise that less than half of those people understand what they really mean when they use it. They have heard it. It sounds good, but more importantly, it makes them feel better saying it. This article will (1) explore definitions for each of those words, (2) understand the impact those words have on oneself in relation to the world and (3) spiritually, use “bless my soul” to connect with the world.

Understanding “Bless My Soul”

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Each word in Bless My Soul if understood, has a powerful message in healing the thoughts of mankind. “Bless” means asking God to look favorably on oneself; to help and protect; or give a sense of grace. The word My is referring to the person speaking, writing or that which belongs to the person in question. Soul has two (2) important connotations for our purposes here.

Soul with a small “s” is seen as the spiritual essence of man viewed at a human level. Soul with a capital “S” is a synonym for God, carrying all the power and presence of God! The uninspired thought may see them as meaning the same. They are not. The former soul is how one perceives the core of being through the five physical senses, whereas the latter Soul is God, Supreme Being, divine Law, having no physical reference or intelligence.

Soul Existence

At a human level, soul existence is reaching out to a higher level of action other than the one experienced at the moment. It’s saying, “Free me from how this situation is making me feel, now!”

Example: A mother crying out to God “bless my soul” as she stares at her child lying in a pool of blood on the street, means “help rid me of this burden, or give me human endurance to wade through it.” She knows for any sense of relief; her mortal senses have to reach the godliness bestowed on her by God.

At some level, she recognizes that if her thought reaches that godliness, the human sense of existence will yield to the divine. Elevation to Soul expression, allows her to mentally rise above the human vision and find comfort, love and a sense of peace. Those of us who are able to make that mental transformation, depend on spiritual awareness to guide us to “the man made in the image and likeness of God.”

If man never ascends above human existence, “bless my soul” replaces what we do not understand, and true healing never takes place. Why not? Man cannot demonstrate (spiritually) what man does not understand. True Soul existence is recognizing that Soul is God, All Presence, All Power and knowing He created us to express all that he is. It’s allowing man’s mortal sense of existence to reach a divine connection and experiencing that which was. . . “is no more.” The mental image of himself is transformed, and he sees himself peacefully above the human situation at hand. If you have not experienced this level of thought, you will here, or hereafter.

Understanding Soul as God

Understanding Soul as God and recognizing God is never without representation, is the key to human progress. Clinging to human understanding keeps us in the throes of human frailties. To reach the highest level of demonstrating “bless my soul,” mankind must grasp that the diminishing of our humanity, is the pathway to our divinity. Let’s repeat that: The diminishing of our humanity is the pathway to our divinity. Simplistically, unless we mentally let go of mortality, we will never reach immortality. Until we reach that level of understanding, we wallow in the limited resources of mortal thinking.

Another aspect of that elevation of thought, is understanding God did not make us “flesh and blood,” as Jesus Christ so amply taught. He made us in his “image and likeness.” That likeness is not flesh and blood, it is Spirit. “Putting off the old man” means removing as “truth” what our parents, schools, jobs and all humans have taught us to be. . . reality! Difficult? Yes! It is a thought-by-thought process, and we have an eternity to do it…here and hereafter. So, let’s “bless (our) souls” by understanding what those word mean, and using each day to make them practical in our experiences. BLESS OUR SOULS!