A Healthy Soul

In the early 1700’s, Rev. Henry Scougal wrote “but, certainly, that passion which accounteth its object a Deity, ought to be bestowed on him who really is so; those unlimited submissions, which would debase the soul if directed to any other, will exalt and ennoble it when placed here.”   Translated, that means the unconditional devotion, love, and submission that we rightly give to God, cannot be given to another without corrupting our very soul.

For example, we see this in people whose object of total devotion is their spouse or their children.  God is displaced in the lives of these people by a lesser object.  This eventually leads to a life of misery because the object of their devotion cannot possibly live up to the expectation of their devotion.  To truly love your spouse or your children, you must love God more than you love them.  Only through having your soul exalted by unlimited submission to God can you truly love others.  This was true in the 1700’s and is still true today.

It is troubling to see this played out in a person’s life or in the life of a nation.  We as individuals and as a nation must remember that our hope is in God and Him alone.  God must never be displaced by a person, organization, cause, government, or political party.  If our hope is placed in any of these, at the very least, we will eventually be disappointed.  Most likely, we will find ourselves soul-sick and without God, wondering how did this happen to me?

Who is the central object of your devotion?  In whom do you place your hope?  Choose carefully, your soul depends on it!

Steve Jernigan