How's Your Soul?: Why Everything that Matters Starts with the Inside You

by Judah Smith

Judah Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus Is ____, helps readers understand what steals their peace of mind and outlines the path to peace and understanding and implementing the healthy soul environment God originally designed.

Modern everyday life is stressful and confusing, full of overly packed schedules and circumstances outside one’s control. This can be especially troubling for Christians who are wrestling with reality while trying to put their trust in God. But the truth is, anxiety does not have to be the constant from day to day. In fact, all the things people most desire in life--peace of mind, hope for tomorrow--are rooted in one simple how they care for the health of their souls. In How's Your Soul?, Judah Smith explores the various facets and needs of the inner person, demonstrating that the path to cultivating healthy souls starts with discovering God’s original design. He helps readers

find real peace and security by bringing their feelings into alignment with God’s truth,discover a healthy sense of identity from God and feel empowered to face the future with a new security and confidence, andlearn the four elements necessary for a healthy soul environment.Sharing his own often humorous mistakes and foibles, Judah offers a helping hand as readers find their way through the emotional rollercoasters of life to discover the soul-healing essentials rooted in what he calls the soul’s only true home--God himself.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian Living, Christianity, Spirituality

202 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2016

About the author

Judah Smith and his wife, Chelsea, are the lead pastors of The City Church in Seattle, Washington. Judah is in high demand as a speaker, both in the United States and abroad. Judah and Chelsea have three children: Zion, Eliott, and Grace.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, not great. Judah had a good message and communicated in a very modern, plain spoken way, but there was something missing. Maybe it was just a little too lighthearted for me some people like vodka mixed with lots of things. I prefer a martini. This book was like a tropical drink.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about being OK on the inside, at the soul level. A healthy soul is essential to a healthy life. Even in times of difficulty, if our soul is healthy we will find the strength to make it through.

“Your soul is healthiest,” Smith writes, “when it comes back frequently and wholeheartedly to God.” God created our soul and there are certain things we can do to make it healthy. We need rest, enjoying God and His creation. We need responsibility, a job. We need restraint, limits. And we need relationships, to not be alone.

Smith ties these ideas together to the anchor our soul needs, Jesus. We need to live in God's love, have our identity on Christ, and have a consistent walk with Him, no longer alone.

Smith has given us good way to check the health of our soul and to maintain our soul the way God has designed. Sometimes we don't like to think about our inner health. The “I'm fine,” comes out so fast. But if we want to have an effective Christian walk and witness, we must pay attention to the health of our soul. As Smith himself writes, “This book is only the beginning of a lifestyle of knowing [God].”

Smith has a quirky sense of humor that helps in the readability of this serious book. He tells lots of stories on himself. Some are quite personal. He talks a little more freely about sexual topics than this senior citizen is used to.

I recommend this book to those interested in maintaining a healthy inner being. That health will only be found in a relationship with Jesus. Reading this book will get the reader on the path to good soul health.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very inspire me in too many way and guide me more to the way of thought and also I was learning about how to living with soul or dealing with your soul. This book is giving us and teach us to many of thought by listen from your soul too. In the rush of living moment in your life to this year there is many of us find ourselves simply surviving. But if we would take a moment to pause, we'd find the things that matter most in life-stability, pace hope, love-are rooted in the health of what could be called the inside you. How's your soul giving a reader to find your way through of the emotional roller coasters of life to discover the soul-healing essentials of rest, responsibility and relationships. This is an invitation ti find lasting satisfaction and stability by bringing your feelings into alignment with God's truth, moving beyond surviving to thriving, and learning how to live each day with eternal significance.
The balance and a genuine of soul that is a gift from God.
I highly recommend this book for every soul because everything that matters start from you. Love it.

[Cathy Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something that is really important and sometimes we don't pay attention to it, because we just simply don't know how. If our soul is okay we are okay. No matter the difficulties that may come, we will be okay. But how do we get our soul to be okay? Well, that's what this book is about.
Judah does a great job explaining how it feels when our soul is okay and how to help our soul. He explains things in a simply way that you can easily understand. It talks about how some times we think we are okay because we have success but in the end we always feel like something is missing and that happens when your soul is not okay.
This book will make you cry, laugh, and think all in the same sentence. Is that great.
If you can get the audiobook of How's Your Soul? OMG.. Get it. Judah is sooooo funny (the roller-coaster part hahaha I couldn't stop laughing) If you have Judah on Snapchat you already know how funny he is. Lol Also the audiobook has bloopers at the end. I laugh so hard!! Get the book and the audiobook. Get everything lol.


This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson a division of Harper Collins Christian Publishing in exchange of an honest review.

[Natacha Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book impressed me a lot.

This is my first read by Judah Smith, and I was gladly surprised by how well he communicates the ideas God’s placed in his heart. It is as if you were hearing him preach. So funny and profound at the same time! I don’t know how he does it.

I found myself laughing out loud –which is not common when reading Christian nonfiction– and then thinking deeply about life-changing questions, all in the same chapter. That is amazing.

I especially enjoyed learning how are souls are designed to find rest in God alone, and the importance of having people in our lives that can look at us in the eye and tell us “this is not who you are”.

I loved this book from beginning to end, and I promise you that, if you read it, you’ll have a great time.

**I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own**

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than anything else I've read from Judah Smith -- it was insightful, still had his signature flavor of humor and lightness, but was more meaningful and relatable to me than Jesus Is___ was. I'm a big fan of books that look at faith through the deeper lens of the soul instead of just what's on the surface, so I found this to be a solid read (although nothing totally blew me away) and one I'd happily share with friends. I think our culture really overlooks the importance of soul-care, and this was a great reminder that our souls are where our true identity and meaning and worth lie, and that we should pay better attention to them.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read both Jesus Is... and Life Is... and this is probably my favorite book by Pastor Judah Smith so far. I think this book is more so meant for Christians (or at least, appeals to Christians) more exclusively than the other books, but I'm not saying it's a snobby spiritual book. I think new Christians and believers struggling with their faith could learn and experience A LOT in this book. He takes basic, fundamental teaches and gives totally new perspectives, and also uses a lot of clever humor! Pastor Judah Smith boggled my mind and literally made me laugh out loud all within a few pages of each other. I love WOULD an audio version of him reading this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book holds something magical... A great perspective on the power of God and His importance to our happiness. Judah Smith does a great job weaving a path towards finding joy and happiness with feeding our soul with God.

[Lizzy Bueckert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Loved it!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potent Quotables:

We tend to use outward indicators of success to prove how “okay” we are. But none of these things—not wealth, not fame, not family, not goals reached—mean we are healthy and happy on the inside.

Until our souls are healthy and prospering, nothing else can prosper. In other words, our health and wellness don’t move from the outside in, but from the inside out.

Our existence isn’t meant to revolve around escaping reality.

Our souls came from, depend on, and long for God. He gave us life, so his presence is essential to our ongoing health. God’s breath is the oxygen our souls breathe. Our souls long for God on a fundamental, foundational level because his life-breath created us and sustains us.

When I am honest with myself, I intuitively understand that my inner being is drawn in a strange—but very real—way to a being who is bigger and higher and greater than I am. My soul wants to come home to God. If you find in your heart a longing for God, then you are in the right place. You are on the journey, and God will help you find him and find yourself in him. Whether you and I agree on what we think about the Bible and God and sin and heaven is not the issue—the issue is that we are drawing closer to God.

Often when we think about serving, we think in terms of sacrifice, but serving actually benefits the servant the most. Serving makes your soul feel good. It makes you feel alive on the inside.

Don’t make massive conclusions about the reality or goodness or presence of God in the middle of an emotional meltdown. For that matter, don’t take out a loan, get divorced, get married, or do anything else overly life-altering just because your emotions are crying out for escape. In the journey of life, emotions make great companions but terrible leaders.

Fulfillment, peace, joy, and health on the inside are, ironically, often found by doing the exact opposite of what we feel like doing in the moment.

Our feelings don’t rule our lives. That is why we must question them. It is helpful, healthy, and humbling to admit that maybe what we feel is flat-out wrong.

When we find ourselves tumbling down melancholy rabbit holes of discouragement and depression, we have to choose. Either we believe that nothing matters, or we put our hope in someone who is bigger than us—God.

Your feelings come and go, but God remains the same, and you will praise him again. It’s only a matter of time.

The bottom line is that things that do not have souls cannot aid people who do have souls. Your car will not help you when you are discouraged. It will not sustain your soul, even though it has heated seats and GPS and a plethora of cup holders. It can’t help you because it doesn’t have a soul, and you do. Your house does not have a soul. Your job doesn’t have a soul. Your social prominence and position do not have souls. By definition and by nature, these things do not have the ability within themselves to aid you in your mind, your will, or your emotions.

The problem isn’t lack of love. It’s impossible expectations. It’s the belief that our souls can find ultimate satisfaction and strength by anchoring themselves to another human soul. But person after person lets us down because their souls are hurting too. We tie ourselves to each other, then we both end up nearly drowned by the storms of life.

We want out. We want an escape. We want someone to remove us from the storm, but Jesus wants to be our strength and stability in the storm.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. You have a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, and he will see you safely to the other side.

Despite our world’s fixation with love; despite the peace movement and the civil rights movement; despite thousands of poems, songs, movies, books, and speeches about love, we still find ourselves surrounded by an inordinate amount of hatred. Why does a philosophy that says “love is God” not work? Because it is inherently a disconnected philosophy. It is an ideal that defines itself by itself. What is love? No one knows, because there is no standard or definition for love… Love without God produces an abstract society where everyone is their own god, and they live by their own impulses and their own feelings. “This is love to me, so I’m going to do it...” God is love. God invented love. So God gets to define love. And as we learn to live in his love, our souls will find themselves at home, at rest, and at peace.

We can be so secure in God’s love and our identity that we don’t have to give people glimpses into other people’s business. We can be a safe place for hurting people, a place where they can find unconditional love and support—both public and private—while they get back on their feet… We aren’t talking about keeping secrets here. There is a time and place to take certain things to higher authorities or to call attention to issues that are creating danger. Rather, we are talking about shielding those who confide in us from the kind of public scrutiny and ridicule that will only harm them. We are talking about believing in people so much that we help them bear their failures and cover their weaknesses until they can be healed.

Quietness and rest are found not in control but in surrender.

You can’t live on a level you are not on. Instead, just live from who you really are. It’s incredibly liberating, actually.

How do you live an effective life? Yes, you surrender—but you don’t do it alone. You surround yourself with other surrendered people, and before you know it, your life and your soul are fruitful and full and meaningful.

The biblical progression is first grace, then faith, then works. That is the divine order. God gives us his grace, and we respond in faith, and eventually our faith and relationship with God produce a healthy, holy lifestyle.

The church isn’t a building. It isn’t a religion or an organization. It isn’t a place to find spiritually themed entertainment or free child care on a Sunday morning. It is a family. God is building a home for hurting humanity where everyone is welcome. He is creating a community where everyone is loved, where everyone loves, where we serve each other and weep with each other and laugh with each other and do life with each other.

God starts deep on the inside, and it takes time to manifest on the outside. We tend to be in a hurry to fix the outside because the outside is embarrassing. The outside gets us in trouble. God plans to fix the outside—but he is going to take his own time to get around to it.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You were designed to find your home in God, both here during this lifetime and for eternity in heaven. So when you live here with heaven set before you, your soul will find satisfaction and health like never before"

(Simply the fact that I'm reviewing this book should tell you something. I rarely take the time to write reviews, unless the book is really good!)

There are about a million books on the shelves right now about our souls. Some are disguised as books about 'the inner you' or 'within you' or something else like that, but really, we're all seeking one thing - we're seeking peace for our souls. And it's surprisingly hard to find, given the fact that there are hundreds of catchy phrases handlettered onto rustic wood and probably a hundred books called '7 steps to finding peace'. Peace, security, and rest are what we all crave, but we don't know how to find it.

I bought this book because it was on sale and had been catching my eye for a while now. And I'm so glad I did. It doesn't offer 7 steps to peace or cute catchy phrases to remember, it offers truth right from scripture about inner peace. It reminds us that we feel rested, content, and at home when our souls are in God.

This is a book I'll read again, and probably again after that, and I'll keep it in a prominent spot on the shelf. With funny stories, a great writing style, and timeless truth, this book was definitely worth reading.

"Where can your soul find healing and wholeness? Who is the source of ultimate fulfillment? How can you navigate this unpredictable and often painful life? The answer is God, who reveals his love and grace toward us through Jesus. He is your hope, and he is health for your soul. Come home to him."

[Sax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since 2017 I’ve attempted to read this book every year. For years it has had such an impact on my life because it’s such an important question to ask ourselves “How’s Your Soul?” In our ever busy world, it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day that we forget to look within to see how we are really doing. This book each year is a good reminder to stop, reflect and assess the ‘inside me’. I love the way one of my mentor puts it, “the inside you that no one can see, will eventually lead to the outside you that everyone can see.” Thank you Pastor Judah!

[Noah Calcagno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Garb

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has great points about healthy "inside you" and things that matter for one's happy stable emotional life. I took some advice from the book. However, I am not very religious person and it was disturbing for me to hear God and Jesus throughout the book. Perhaps, I am just not very prepared listener for that sort of literature.

[Stephan Brusche · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasantly written informative book about listening to what your soul needs.

[Nick Carrico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judah has a light hearted and humorous writing style that is refreshing and funny. For the most part it is light, and he gives humorous stories from his life to tie in a deeper point. This book is a good reminder that our souls are needy, and that we need to look after other’s souls as well. Get deeper than just “How’s it going?” to “How’s your soul?”

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potent Quotables:

I have not met a single person who has told me, “my general philosophy in life is to do what I feel like when I feel like doing it, and it has brought me incredible happiness and fulfillment and peace. I just follow every fleeting feeling. That is how I live my life and it’s the secret to my happiness.” I have never met that person. What I have found instead is that fulfillment, peace, joy, and health on the inside are ironically often found by doing the exact opposite of what we feel like doing in the moment.

It is imperative that we understand we do not have to live up to who people say we are or perceive us to be. By the grace of God, Jesus enables us to live from who we really are.

[Liv Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best books I've read of all time! I'm encouraging everyone I know to read this! Judah Smith is funny and provocative, and it's EXACTLY what I needed as I look to start enjoying life in this this anxiety ridden environment! ENJOY!

[Kendall Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read How’s Your Soul by Judah Smith because I wanted to begin to understand myself through analyzing my deep thoughts, emotions, and mental state. I was hoping that this book would provide an eye-opening experience in regards to examining the human mind and its motivations. When I finished this book, I did feel a slight sense of renewment but it did not provide me with any life-altering information like I had hoped it would. However my faith felt overwhelming afterwards, which was refreshing. I really connected to a part in the text that explained how people live their day-to-day lives on the go without truly asking themselves how their souls are. It is crucial to check in on yourself in regards to all aspects of life, including friendships, faith, family, and work.
The book mainly provided information about how to change one’s life for the better, and how to live in happiness and fellowship. It would tie all of the steps of the process to the Lord and His comfort. A huge theme in the book was restoration. Since your soul is your home and comfort, it must be restored. The first step towards restoration is admitting that you are not happy. Some solutions include talking to God, getting lots of rest and exercise, and taking deep breaths of fresh air. People’s souls are the only things that exemplify emotional well-being, so it is paramount to ensure that they are well-kempt. These everyday solutions and the Godly advice are comforting things to read, which is why I do highly recommend this book.
Whether you are in-tune to your soul or not, you should be reading this book. It provides solace and assurance for people who are in a good place, and guidance for people who may be struggling. It is such a useful book because the advice is very applicable to real life. If you are somebody who has a distaste for Christian advice, this is not the book for you. However, if you are somebody who is not sure about your faith, this is a comfort and magnificent for surmounting tough times.

[VikToriya Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a question Judah Smith asks! A true state of our soul is important to be and to live to the fullest. He explains how the human soul operates and the vitality to keep it guarded and happy to be fruitful and successful.

What a great reality of the soul, as Judah Smith states, it is the only true home, where God resides and moves, creating the new creature in us as the Author and Finisher of our salvation. The soul is the place of our being too. We need soul check-ups, to make it whole again, without hurt and wounds. The soul cannot prosper were wounds and thorns grow, so we need the healing touch of Jesus.

[Mylon Pruett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book and how we should spend intentional time on the health of our souls, just as we spend intentional time on our physical and mental health. While I did really enjoy the premise, and the read; and a few of the sections were exceptional, I've now been listening to Judah's sermons long enough that a lot of examples are repeated and if feel like I've already heard most of this book before.

[Jethro Nolt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The titles seemed very appealing and I read it eagerly. Unfortunately, the content seemed to lack substance. I got the impression that this book was intended to be highly accessible and broadly appealing, but the result was that it just scratched the surface of soul care and failed to offer me anything truly helpful.

[Trica Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book. Nothing extraordinary but it does make you think about things differently and even ponder your life's mission. We are what we are because of our inside self. If we want to change, it starts with what's inside of us... our soul.

[Corey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average book by a guy I relate to

I appreciate the author's vulnerability and humor and I think we have a lot in common, but he really doesn't say anything new or profound, and his biblical analysis is very elementary.

[Jarod O. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it. Took it to listen to during my down time at a men's retreat... felt that the author was trying to be too cool. It didn't feel authentic. Traded it for Knowing God which has been a KILLER listen.

[Jeanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!!!!!

[Bob Schuemann]

Great in-depth read!!

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing. I needed this book. Thankful for Judah's never failing ability to bring the truth in a easy to understand and hilarious way.

[Samantha Cisternas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better books that I have read this year. Really impressed, well written and relatable. I liked the way the book was broken down. Will definitely be reading more of Judah Smith's books.

EXCERPTS

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:10 I the Lord search the heart and test the mind.

“When did mankind become alive? When —and only when— God breathed into him. At that moment Adam became a living creature, a living soul.”

“God’s breath defines the human soul.”

“It is clear throughout human history that we cannot solve the sin problem on our own. We cannot become good again through self-effort; we cannot achieve right standing with God based on our performance.”

“Our souls need rest. They need relaxation, enjoyment, peace, and pleasure…. Why is rest first? Rest is first because God is first. A restless soul is a soul that thinks it is in control and needs to take care of everything. If we do not rest, we are trying to be our own God. We have to remember that even when we rest, God does not. When we sleep, God does not. And when we cease working, God does not.”

Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. In other words, God gave the human soul responsibility.

“The joy is not in the role. The joy is in the responsibility.”

Genesis 2:16–17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.

“Restriction and restraint are necessary for a healthy soul.”

“In the journey of life, emotions make great companions for terrible leaders.”

“The problem isn’t lack of love. It’s impossible expectations.”

“People say all the time that Peter walked on water. That’s not entirely accurate. He walked on waves.”

“Peter needed to realize that Jesus is just as trustworthy in the storms as in the calm.”

“If love is God but we all get to make up our own definitions of love, then ultimately we all are God. When you replace a person with a concept, whoever defines that concept has ultimate authority.”

“When you remove human love from divine love, you are left with lawlessness.”

“Is easy to love those whom you love… but it takes a divine love, a supernatural love, to love those who do not love us back… Yet it’s the only kind of love that will bring lasting satisfaction and health to our souls. Paul says that all the time and in every situation. Love does these four things: bears, beliefs, hopes, and endures."

“Love looks for the best.”

“Love has to be able to say, “I know you’re on a journey, but I love you right where you are. Sooner or later you’re going to make progress; but in the meantime, I love you and I am committed to you. I love needs help because we all have a long way to go.”

“Love endures… There is room here for communication, confrontation, and restoration. Love will be tested. With his dying breath, there is room in here for communication, confrontation, and restoration… Love will be tested.”

“With his dying breaths on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive his executioners. That is the ultimate in enduring love. Jesus wasn’t trying to be a good example: “I hate you all, but just so I look spiritual, I’m going to say I forgive you.” No, his prayer reveals the essence of who he is; the perfection of God‘s unconditional love and forgiveness. Grace had no gaps and love knows no limits. Love endures all things.”

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In How’s Your Soul? Judah explores that "inside you." Sharing his own, often humorous, mistakes and foibles, he helps us find our way through the emotional roller coasters of life to discover the soul-healing essentials of rest, responsibility, restraint, and relationships, all rooted in what he calls the soul’s only true home—God himself."

This is the first book by Judah Smith I have read, although it is his second book. Judah is the head pastor of a church in Seattle Washington as well as a husband and father. How's Your Soul is written to encourage the reader to consider how your life on earth can reflect a bit more of heaven in everyday life.

Smith begins by explaining the beginnings of the soul. He explains that it was God's breath that gave Adam life that we should focus on. Although the soul is not something that can be described in a few words, God's breath in Adam gave him life, that breath became Adam's soul.

Genesis 2:6-7 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. 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.

Our souls were created before sin entered the world. Although it is possible to exist outside of our soul aligning with God, we experience discontentment, a longing for more when our souls are not aligned with God. Smith goes on to explain all the ways we can seek to focus our minds, actions, and souls on God.

I loved this book. I haven't read much on the soul specifically, and I found this to be a book that had me deep in thought. Both with self-reflection and further research, this has to meet hungry for more information on the soul.