Cure of Souls - An Essay by Rhonda Stanton

The 7 Steps to the Cure of Souls published by the Society for the Cure of Souls, Robert L. O'Block

How to Obtain Spiritual Wholeness

Who do you turn to when your life gets in a mess? When you get down, or confused, or you get in trouble? Chances are you go to the same person most of the time. Hopefully, this person is a strong Christian who loves God and will remind you of the One who can bring you comfort and order in your life; heshe is an encourager, but this person will most likely also provide insight as to what sin you might need to confess. This person is probably a good friend, someone who knows you well and likes you anyway. Or maybe this person is a leader in the Christian community, an elder, a priest, or a pastor. We all need people like this in our lives.

If you had been alive many years ago, you may have had the opportunity to have Moses, Aaron, or Jacob be your leader and encourager. The person you could go to when you needed spiritual guidance. Today, we might call this person an encourager, a friend, or maybe a spiritual counselor, but if we had lived many years ago, this person would have had the title of Curate, and would probably have been a leader in a church.

The position of “Curate” goes even further back in history: Can you imagine having the very First Curate in time as your own personal spiritual guide, as Adam and Eve did? When they sinned against God, it was God Himself who approached them and helped them confess and restore their relationship with Him. He brought order back into their lives.

Providing spiritual guidance, as a Curate would, to help others obtain spiritual wholeness is an underlying theme of a new book, The 7 Steps to the Cure of Souls. This small book is not a self-help book; it is much more than that. It can provide you the tools and guidance to achieve peace in your life, with God, with yourself, and with others. This book is not Scripture, nor does it try to take the place of Scripture; however, extensive passages of Scripture are quoted to provide a godly foundation for the seven steps the reader will experience.

After the definition of Cure of Souls is explained in the first chapter, these seven steps are outlined in the following manner:

Step 1 is the Rejection of Sin. If a person is looking for wholeness and peace in life, heshe must first examine what actions, motives, and thoughts infuse hisher daily life to learn if sin is present. Sin will not have any part of a life of peace with the Creator and fellow humans.

In Step 2, the reader will be taken through the process of confessing sin to God. Confession is defined simply as “acknowledging sins.” Sometimes sin needs to be confessed to God alone, but other times, if there are other people who have been hurt, a person might have to go confess to another. Unconfessed sin in a person’s life can cause an unshakable sense of guilt that has the ability to cause anger, bitterness, and can eventually ruin a life. The author of The 7 Steps to the Cure of Souls explains that unconfessed sin can cause ailments that are being diagnosed by psychologists and psychiatrists and are being treated with therapies and medications. When sin impacts our emotions, guilt becomes painful and oppressive. Confession brings freedom through forgiveness.

The process of Step 3 is receiving forgiveness and forgiving others. For readers determined to obtain emotional healing, this step may be one of the most painful. Many people have done things that might be perceived as “too big” for God to forgive. A person may say, “but God doesn’t know what I’ve done; He wouldn’t (or can’t) forgive me for _________.” But God already knows exactly what you have done, and He loves you anyway, and He can and is even eager to forgive you.

Forgiveness of others is also discussed extensively in Step 3. Forgiveness is described as being a choice, not a feeling. Readers will not be asked flippantly to, “forgive and forget,” for if you have been wronged, you know this is not possible. Forgiveness is an act of the will. It is not saying that what happened was okay; it is canceling the debt that you feel the other person owes you for what heshe did. Readers are encouraged go to the person when it is in the best interest of both people involved; however, there will be times when writing a letter may be the best option, or even writing a letter and then throwing it away, never to even be given to the offender. Forgiveness is a matter of the heart and if it is not done, bitterness and anger will fester. Scripture speaks very frankly, about forgiveness: “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6: 14-15 NASB).

Step 4 is Faith, which is closely tied to trust and truth. Many people will be disappointed with life because they will put their faith in another person or things. Things and humans are fallible and will surely fail. Others will put their faith in the world’s system of economy, where “achievement” is measured by wealth, position, physical appearance, or popularity, and when this fails to provide fulfillment or fill the void of a broken heart, their world falls apart. Trying to live life without a relationship with the Creator is the ultimate deception.

Love is Step 5 and is a wonderful encouragement. God is Love. He loves each one of us unconditionally. For some who have been given love only if they were pretty enough, or nice enough, or behaved correctly, this unconditional love may be difficult to believe and receive. Many Scriptures show us God’s unfailing love and His unending compassion. When we stop struggling against God and accept His love and forgiveness, we can live at peace with ourselves, and with each other. Loving others comes naturally to the person who loves God.

In the book, The 7 Steps to the Cure of Souls, the reader is encouraged to continue reading and going through the seven steps. Becoming content with finishing only part of the steps will be a temptation. Step 6 is Prayer. We must talk with God and learn how to listen to Him through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Through communication with God, we can know our purpose in life and cultivate a personal relationship with Him. In the book, some wonderful prayers are quoted. One of them, the Magnificat, is the sweet prayer Mary prayed when she learned the news of her “work” for the Lord. King David also prayed some memorable prayers. Also included is the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi for peace.

The final step, Step 7, is Holiness. Living with God in Holiness is living near to God’s heart, communicating with Him, and hearing from Him. The one who lives in the spiritual realm knows a nearness to God that is intimate and enduring; it is accompanied with a peace that surpasses understanding. It is not living by a list of “do’s and don’ts”; it is to take on the characteristics of God, to live in obedience to Him. Getting to know God on this special level will take time, but it is very possible. The 7 Steps to the Cure of Souls is a tool that will help you get there. Take the time, persevere, and proceed through rejecting sin, confessing any sin in your life, receiving and offering forgiveness, having faith, learning how God loves you and how to love others, praying without ceasing, and achieving the place of living in holiness with your Creator, with a cured soul.

Author of the book The 7 Steps to The Cure of Souls and founder of The Society for The Cure of Souls(SCS), Robert O'Block, does not receive any income from the sales of the book or from membership dues or donations to the society. The income from book sales and SCS membership dues and donations to the ministry fund the promotion of The Cure of Souls as a way to help individuals form a closer relationship with God and live a Christ-centered life. Promotion includes marketing materials, staff time, and continuing education conferences."