Value Health in Pursuit of Righteousness // Moriah Nelson
As I read John Donne’s Devotions Upon Urgent Occasions, I first thought his concern for sickness and health meant he was a hypochondriac. However, the extent of time it took for the doctors to find a cure for him gives me reason to give Donne a break. This still leaves the matter than Donne has an incredibly in-depth understanding of the human body. I think this understanding causes Donne to examine his priorities to ensure that his spiritual health is still of more importance than his physical health. This conflict is best seen when Donne writes,
“Why is there not always a pulse in my soul to beat at the approach of a temptation to sin? Why are there not always waters in mine eyes, to testify my spiritual sickness?” (9).
Donne is lamenting the lack of concern he has for the spiritual health of his soul in light of how attentive he is to the failing physical health of his body. This meditative thought is even important for us as modern readers as we must learn from Donne’s example of desiring to prioritize spiritual health. To examine our priorities in this way, we may check the pulse of our soul by examining our thoughts daily. Whether or not we have tears come to our eyes when we consider the sin of our flesh, we should certainly mourn over the spiritual sickness of our souls when we have sinned. Earlier in the Expostulation, Donne described how God made us from dust and also gathers our ashes. Isaiah 61:3 immediately came to mind:
“to gather those who mourn in Zion-to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit, that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified” (English Standard Version).
May the examining of our souls reveal any spiritual sickness that we ought to take to our Great Physician so that we may be firmly rooting and growing in righteousness to glorify God.
I commented on Sydney and Will's posts.
I agree. It is so much easier to determine when we are physically ill than when we are spiritually ill. We need to examine our lives daily for any sign of ailment and then bring it to the Great Physician so that it might not fester and turn into a much bigger problem that hurts us and others more and will be harder to get rid of.
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