Most of us have been to Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, or Target. I certainly frequent these stores much to my budget’s dismay. One of my favorite sections is the wall art and decor department, also known as the “I Can Convince Myself I Need This Department.” One of the things I picked out from this department is a canvas that has the words “It Is Well with My Soul” on it. The saying itself is catchy and I really liked the colors, but have you ever seen the saying “It Is Well with My Soul” and wondered what it actually means?
The song It Is Well with My Soul was written by Horatio Spafford, a wealthy man with a wife, four daughters, and a son. Shortly after losing his son to an unexpected illness, he also lost the majority of his wealth and investments in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Horatio scheduled a boating trip for his wife and daughters to England where he would meet up with them within the next couple of weeks. However, there was a shipwreck and his wife was saved alone.
It was during his voyage to England in the spot that was suspected to be where he lost his four daughters to sea that he wrote the song It Is Well with My Soul.
Those six little words hold a lot of weight. It got me to thinking what circumstances would qualify as being well with my soul? Getting a new job? Entering into a marriage or having a baby? Getting a raise, new house or car? Let’s be honest something as simple as shopping is pretty “well with my soul.”
The reality is It Is Well with My Soul is saying that no matter what your circumstance you will be at peace. The situations above qualify as times that I would easily say “it is well with my soul.”
But no one would guess that those words would follow the loss of your wealth, home, and family. While Horatio’s circumstance is not desirable, his steady demeanor throughout hardship is.
After all, how is it that one can confidently say It Is Well with My Soul when going through hard – or unimaginable – times?
Trusting in God is the only way to have steady and constant peace and joy. This means trusting Him when things are good, when things are bad, and when you think you’d do a better job if you were in control.
Saying It Is Well with My Soul and truly meaning that you can have peace regardless of the circumstance is a scary thing to declare.
But how much scarier is it to cling to things that can’t bring true joy?
How much scarier is it to try to control our own lives and be responsible for our own happiness? How much scarier is it to put our hope and joy in things that are immortal – things that can fail us?
The reality is those things were never meant to be the source of our joy. In life, you can’t choose your circumstances for the most part and you certainly can’t predict the future. There’s no way to guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong. The only way to guarantee steadiness through hardship is to trust in the God that is able to work in and through your circumstances for your good (Romans 8:28).
So, the words It Is Well with My Soul went from being something I was afraid to say to something I’ll choose to say. Because when choosing between having to go through this life on my own versus trusting in an all-powerful God who loves you and cares for you I’ll choose the latter every time.
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