I thought I would take a look at what Thomas Watson says about “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” in his book The Lord’s Prayer. But I’m afraid I didn’t get very far, so you’ll have to bear with me because you just have to read this. He has made the observation that the Lord’s prayer has two petitions regarding the soul, and only one regarding the body, and that is the context of this next bit.
“Observe hence, that we are to be more careful for our souls than for our bodies; more careful for grace than for daily bread; and more desirous to have our souls saved than our bodies fed.”
“They are reproved who take more care for their bodies than their souls. The body is but the brutish part, yet they take more care, (1) About dressing their bodies than their souls. They put on the best clothes, are dressed in the richest garb; but care not how naked or undressed their souls are. They do not get the jewels of grace to adorn the inner man.
(2) About feeding their bodies than their souls. They are caterers for the flesh, they make provision for the flesh, they have the best diet, but let their souls starve; as if one should feed his hawk, but let his child starve. The body must sit in the chair of state, but the soul, that princely thing, is made a lackey to run on the devil’s errands.”
Of course, there is so much more good stuff here. All his books are filled with riches. I’ll keep looking and post some more later.
One thinks of all the ways one can abuse the body that have parallels in how we treat our souls: anorexia, bulimia, gluttony, sloth, etc.
Oh how timely for me!!
I am sitting down with coffee, having overslept by half an hour, deciding whether I should run OR have my quiet time, as there wasn’t time for them both.
Guess what I did!
A wonderful reminder. My babies need a mama who is prepared to feed their little souls more than they do a spotlessly clean environment! Albeit, I have this faint idea that it is somehow possible to have both. 🙂 But maybe not.
Praise God! He is SO gracious to us as we stumble our way through learning to have his heart in these matters.