Leanness of Soul

Psalm 106:15 “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”

In the King James Version, we read terms like “enjoying the fat of the land”.

By today’s health standards, leanness is considered a good thing. In this context, however, we think of being lean as a subpar condition.  Not really bad, but “could be better”.

During the last 24 or 36 hours, I have meditated on the causes of “leanness of soul”.

The writer of this Psalm suggests a request made to God, which, if answered, most likely isn’t a deal breaker for either remaining a Christian, or abandoning Christianity. But it relinquishes prime condition, in exchange for ambition, motivation, or an ideal. 

Mark 8: 36-37 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

My mind goes to earthly ambitions; setting one’s mind on terrestrial accomplishments as a possible preamble to losing one’s soul. However, I think it comes closer, into our foundational willingness to have the kind of relationship with Jesus that motivates us to a thinking pattern where we weigh the “Now” issue against the evident, or not-so-evident outcome, in terms of an effective Christian life.  The question is; do we wish to live in a grey zone, holding onto what we wish to perceive as ours?  Together with this we forfeit being a true friend to others. We allow trivial ambitions to trump the joy of full, wholehearted service to God. Do we think the joy of acquisition and the reward of trifling accomplishment is a worthy trade for, first,leanness of soul, and then the possibility of ultimately gaining the whole world but losing one’s soul?