In the Bible, the soul is your whole self: your life, personality, and identity. The Hebrew word is nephesh, and it describes a living, breathing person, not just an invisible part inside us. Biblically, you don’t have a soul; you are a soul. Loving God with all your soul means trusting him, honoring him in everything you do, and helping others pursue him.
Your Soul Is the Essence of Who You Are
The Shema calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. The heart describes our inner person: mind, emotions, and will. The soul overlaps with that, but it’s even broader. In English, we usually think of the soul as the non-material part of us that survives after death. That idea comes more from Greek philosophy than from the Old Testament. In Hebrew, nephesh often simply means “me” or “I.”
Psalm 119:175 Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me.
Literally, the psalmist says, “Let my nephesh live that it may praise you.” He’s not talking about one part of himself. He’s offering his whole being to God. The psalms also use nephesh to describe a deep longing for God.
Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Love God with All Your Soul by Trusting Him
Deuteronomy is like a coach’s pregame speech. Moses was reminding Israel who they were and how to succeed in the promised land. But for Israel to stay in relationship with a holy God, their sin had to be dealt with. That’s why God gave them a system of sacrifices. Those sacrifices had to be repeated again and again, because people kept on sinning.
The whole system pointed forward to Jesus. On the cross, he paid for sin once and for all.
Romans 3:22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
You can’t love God with your whole self until you’re in a relationship with him. That relationship begins when you trust Jesus and what he did for you.
Love God with All Your Soul by Honoring Him in All You Do
Right after the Shema, Moses says God’s commandments are to be “on your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). In other words, loving God means doing what he says. Jesus said the same thing.
John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commands.
But loving God with your whole soul goes beyond checking boxes. It means everything about you points to him: how you think, talk, work, use your talents, and respond to challenges.
1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Love God with All Your Soul by Helping Others Pursue Him
Loving God with your whole soul isn’t just a private matter. The verses that follow the Shema show that it involves the people around you.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Israel was called to pass their faith to the next generation. Since Jesus came, the invitation has opened to the whole world.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
There are many ways to love your neighbor, but the greatest is to help them pursue God. That includes mentoring believers toward maturity and inviting people who don’t yet know Jesus to discover him. You can read more in What Is a “Full Circle” Disciple?
The Takeaway
Biblically, your soul is your whole self. You love God with all your soul when you trust Jesus, honor God in every part of life, and help others pursue him. God loves you and can be trusted, so it’s safe to give him everything you are.
