And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7 KJV)

What is the soul? The soul at its core is who we are – the real us. The form of man that God shaped with His own hands, while perfect, was lifeless until the breath of God entered it. When that happened, man became a living soul.

It’s interesting that man didn’t become a living body or a living spirit, but a living soul. The Hebrew word for “soul” is “nephesh.” It’s used over 750 times in the Old Testament in a variety of ways to describe the whole person, not a compartment of being.

We were created with a free will to make choices, a mind to create and think, and we were given a body that is capable of doing extraordinary things (ever seen an olympic gymnast? Crazy stuff). The soul integrates the will, mind and body into one single being. It is not God’s intent that we live a compartmentalized, fragmented life, but a single, whole life to do His will on the earth.

What makes it possible is the breath of God that came into our life at the dawn of creation. That’s why Paul was able to say:

“….in Him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:28 NKJV)

True, sustained God-life is only possible with the breath of God. It’s what makes you a living soul.

As you meditate on this today ask yourself: Is my life fragmented? What are the areas in which I need wholeness? Write those areas in your journal and when you pray, ask for the breath of God to fill your soul and bring those fragmented areas to wholeness.