I know a lot of people who firmly believe in natural remedies, supplements, and holistic health. I basically know nothing about any of that, other than it’s good to eat healthy food and to exercise faithfully. I got a book from the library talking about detoxing, liver function, health benefits of avoiding trigger foods. My eyes glaze over, and it all sounds like a foreign language. It’s all a bit overwhelming to start from scratch. And really, I’ve been hesitant to step my toe into these waters. Why? Part of it is because there’s such a learning curve. Another reason is because I’ve met some . . . slightly odd … people who adhere to these ways of life. And some of these people are all about these things… like you can’t have a conversation with them without vitamins or holistic health popping up into the dialogue.

As I considered this, I realized that maybe these emotions run through a person approaching the world of religion for the first time. It’s a huge subject, with a lot of material to sift through. What’s true? What’s distortion by fanatics? How much is this going to require me to change? There are a lot of … slightly odd … Christians out there, who may turn someone off from searching deeper. There’s a bit of a foreign language to it, too — justification, sanctification, redemption, and original sin. Maybe a person could be hesitant to step foot into this learning curve. How do you know what to believe, whose word to trust?

I say all this to remind myself (and you!) that we should consider easing in new “seekers” little by little. Share with them what they are able to handle. We can give a broad overview of what God says He’s doing in the world, but then share piece by piece as the person is interested, answering questions that arise, not dumping everything on them at once. Of course, knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord is way more important than taking a vitamin pill, but hopefully, just as ardently as we push for good physical health, we will speak urgently and often about spiritual needs.

If I can avoid being slightly odd, that’s a bonus!

Our dog Fritz saw himself for the first time. He wondered, “Who is that?!” He stared at the image for quite a while, not really understanding what he saw.

Lately, I have been challenged to look at myself in a spiritual sense. Someone recently spoke on how we Christians can be like Pharisees. We like to go to the temple (church), we like to give offerings, we like to be acknowledged for our good deeds. But how are we doing inside? Where is my heart? Am I seeking to love the Lord with all my heart and soul and mind? Am I loving others as Christ has loved me?

What do I see when I view my heart as God sees it? It’s not a simple answer. It is cause for closer inspection.

Oh, Lord, please reveal to me how I look to You. What condition is my heart in? Am I more in line with Your will today than I was last year? Do I treasure the things You treasure and hate the things You hate? Please change me into Your perfect image, in Jesus’ power. Amen.