Captain of Your Soul

Dr. Mike 2026

Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:4

Who is the captain of your ship? The one responsible to maintain its operations and lead the ship to its destination? The metaphor of course is comparing our body to a ship. Who is in charge?

There are those who desire to be the captain of their ship. They want the title, the perks, and the benefits of being in charge. But they neglect the responsibilities and duties of a captain.

They want the people to respect them. To honor them. To even worship them. They want the power and glamour but not the work associated with it.

There are those who think the captain is in charge. Accountable to no one but themselves. They liken themselves as a god, but do not say so.

I was recently speaking with a believer whose mental map made God their captain of their ship. They were only an employee. They would wait around for their captain to tell them what to do, and how to do it. If they weren’t given any instructions, they would just hang around. You would find them doing nothing productive but play and watch videos all day.

I also spoke with another believer. His mental map showed themselves as the captain of their ship and God the owner of their soul. The fruit in their life was the opposite. They were rich to the people around them and more rich to the God they served. They learned how to govern their soul for the betterment of those around them.

Which one are you?

What happens when we acknowledge God owns our soul? Does it not make us accountable to HIM? Does it not keep us humbled and productive? As the captain of our ship, we acknowledge HIS authority in our life. We accept the fact we are responsible to serve HIM in a fiduciary role. As the captain of HIS ship, we act and carry ourselves representing HIM, not ourselves.

Are we not made in HIS image? This of course means more than sharing some of HIS attributes. It also means HE has given us the responsibility to care for HIS earth. HIS instructions to the first humans were to have dominion and be fruitful over all HIS creation. Yes, HE owns it all. But HE gives us the role of being HIS captains.

Our role is to accept the responsibility to make this a better world for humanity to live in. Not for our sake alone. But for the sake of others and for God’s glory.

Every owner I knew was generous but firm in dealing with their employees. They rewarded those who made the company successful. At the same time, disciplined those who failed in their role.

Yes, you and I are captains of our soul. We are accountable to the owner, the Triune God. As we learn to lead by serving others as ambassadors of HIS Kingdom, we allow the light of God’s ways shine. We introduce others to HIM. We live with a purpose greater than ourselves. It all starts when we accept our role as the captain of our ship and sail under the identity of the owner. HIS brand is magnified. HIS ways are introduced to others. And we reap the benefits of a captain’s life.

Yes, God owns our soul. But HE allows us to be its captain. So, take charge. Always keep HIM in the loop. When unsure, confirm your actions with ownership beforehand. Know what HE wants. Act as you know HE would if HE was there with you. For HE is. And when our final review takes place, don’t we all want to hear the words of Matthew 5:21. “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Spiritual Silence

Dr. Mike 2026

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalm 62:5

How often do we pray asking God for guidance or direction, but there is only silence on the other end?

We ask again, and again, and again. But still no word. No response. Just quiet. What then?

Do we begin to doubt God? Do we take control of the steering wheel and move ahead without HIM? Or do we begin to ask, what is HE trying to teach me at this moment?

Silence shuts out the noise for the moment. It removes all distractions from the playing field at that time. It helps one settle down and focus on the issue at hand.

Silence also helps one to recharge. Instead of expressing one’s opinion or feelings, it stops the chatter. It forces one to listen. To actually look around and see what one may be missing around them. It makes one stop, get off the noise machine, and reflect on the now moment.

Many of the saints over the years have practiced the discipline of silence. It is one of many means of grace that helps us to refocus our eyes to Papa God.

In a twenty-four/seven culture, it is necessary at times to get off the train and sit for a while. To review one’s life, one’s purpose, and one’s relationships. Are we living the life as God made us to be? Are we heading in the direction with Jesus or have we left HIM behind somewhere? What is God showing me now that I am missing?

Silence is a tool that allows us to pullback and stop contributing our noise into the situation. It is a practical way to proactively seek what God is teaching us at the moment. It allows us to realign ourselves with the Holy Spirit. It helps us to focus on the Kingdom work being done in us, through us, and for us for the sake of others.

The prophet Elijah learned the same lesson. He found himself despondent from the problems around him (1 Kings 19:9-14). God eventually spoke to him in a small quiet voice. As we wait in silence, we also learn to listen for the quiet voice of God rather than the loud echoes of culture.

HE is always with us. We only need to learn how best to communicate with HIM. HE always answers. Most of the time though, we are either too busy, hard of hearing, or don’t recognize the answer. Practicing the way of silence may be one way for us to better hear our Triune God.

So, let silence become your friend. Invest time with her and see how God becomes more alive in your corner of the world.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Coming Soon: The Shape of a Faithful Life

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It Hurts

Dr. Mike 2026 , , ,

 “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove sorrow from your heart and keep pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 NASB

Everyone will experience hurt in their lifetime. Most hurts will heal. Some will not. All hurts though will leave an imprint in our life. In some ways we are the sum total of our hurts.

These hurts come from an endless source of darts thrown in our direction. Most often from an unlimited pile of human ignorance. Some hurts are the reflection of expectations gone wrong. Others are the damage left by people deliberately or unintentionally provoking you.

Whatever the source, the result is the same. It hurts. 

We may bring hurt upon ourselves by a sinful act. We may think we are doing good when the end result is harm to another.

We hurt when the grade needed from a class falls short and we lose out on a scholarship for college.

We hurt when the person we have a crush on tells us they are not interested.

We hurt when the bills are more than the money in the checking account.

We hurt from the outcome of an auto accident.

We hurt when someone close to us suffers from a tragedy.

We hurt when we wake up the next day with a hangover from yesterday’s party.

We hurt when our close friend reveals a hidden secret to others.

We hurt when our spouse tells us they do not love us any longer and wants to go their separate way.

We hurt when rejected from the job we enjoy.

We hurt when our love ones die.

We hurt when our bodies no longer quickly recover from the workout that day realizing age is catching up to us.

The issue is not the hurt. But how we respond to it. The hurt may last a lifetime. Or only a few minutes. But the fuller we grieve; the faster we forgive others and ourselves; the healthier we become with another learned lesson toward maturity in Christ.

God wants us to dream dreams and pursue them. He wants us to chase the desires of our heart. But HE also wants us to do so within the boundaries of HIS character. Being hurt is the price of becoming more like Christ.

An athlete chooses temporary pain to grow their muscles. They push themselves until it hurts. Then they back away. They want to be the best they can be. So, hurt is part of their process.

As Christ-followers, we likewise learn to integrate faith into every area of our life. That includes our dreams and desires. We thus pursue our goals partnering with Jesus. We ask HIM to be involved in our daily walk. We offer our dreams to HIM. We ask and seek out HIS ways in the process. But we are careful our dreams are always secondary to our relationship with HIM.

Yes, in the Christian journey many darts of hurt will come our way. The pain will be real. It will hurt. But as we lean on Jesus, HE will walk with us in the pain. HE will help heal the hurt or carry us through the pain. We will learn from the situation. We will mature in the process. We will learn to trust HIM more. And always, you can be assured, HE will continue to root for you, and help you, even while it hurts.   

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Aspirations and Writings Neatly Bound in Book Formats:
* indicates audio version only available at Apple Books

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Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved