Verse 1

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Verse 2

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Not only is this hymn a classic, beloved by millions, but it is one of my personal favorites to sing. The verses flow smoothly, building to a tremendous climax and followed by a majestic, confident refrain. It sends chills up and down my spine just thinking about it.

I’ve had time to really think about this phrase, “It is well with my soul.” The hymn says that it is a phrase taught to us by God (note the capitol T in Thou) which we ought to say in every situation, whether that is Satan himself trying to pull us off the path, or in the times of great peace.

I don’t know about you, but I do not say this phrase in my daily life. In times of restful peace, I merely relax, occasionally thanking God for providing. In times of distress, I call on God, full of deeply rooted anxiety. In either case, it is not well with my soul. How do I know? Because the great sacrificial love of Christ is not in control. I am spoiled in my comfort and I am fearful in my despair. Yes, I have experienced God’s love, protection, and providence, but I rarely let it take full control of my own soul.

Maybe that is the issue in a nutshell. Maybe believing that my soul somehow exists as my property, a notion I feel that society supports, holds me back from realizing a glorious truth: I am my soul. Of course I am also a mind and a body, but I don’t own my soul, I exist as my soul. Christ didn’t come to save something we possess; He came to save us. God doesn’t speak peace to some part of our gut that needs calming; He speaks to our very being. And the Holy Spirt doesn’t enter into just our emotional states, He in our counselor, for the entirety of our beings.

How can it be well with our souls? Surrendering our possession of self for a realization of wholeness. Allowing our guiding thoughts to start and end with God’s love. And whatever situations we face, remembering the assuring words given to us: It is well with my soul!

SDG,

Paul Hart Cochran