2 Corinthians 4:16

"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."

2 Corinthians 4:16

I like this idea of an inward man... it seems more informative than saying soul or spirit, because those can be seen just as light sources or power sources for what we are.  But the idea that there is a whole self in there... we learn that in other scriptures, but I'm not sure how often we think about it that way.  The inner self isn't just a set of rules, or a set of urges.  It's us... everything we have been, and so much that we still are... but a whole person in there.  The new stuff is the outside.  This new body we got coming to earth and all the stuff that comes with it.  Not just a shell, but whole in a physical way... and as we learn to unify the two, we become so much more than we were.

So, from two wholes, equally strong and capable, but with different strengths and abilities, comes the combined self. The idea of allowing our inward man to lead the combined self is part of the gospel.  it's a big challenge since the veil is drawn over our premortal memories and we have new senses--the physical aspect that our outward man adds can be overwhelming.  But the spiritual part is the eternal part, and we know that even if our external part perishes, our spirits can be renewed, and eventually our bodies will be resurrected and made perfect... so way more important to renew that part that is older and needs a little more self-cleaning.

I think it is important as we go through our internal struggles to remember that it is a challenge because both parts of ourselves *are* powerful.  It isn't because we're spiritual weaklings... it's because we're so strong.  We need to respect our strength, and learn to tame it for the benefit of the whole.  Today, let's respect and renew our inner selves, and work on taking care of, respecting, and taming our outward selves, so that we can someday achieve self-mastery, self-understanding, and wholeness.