Gut Health and More Important Things

We’re always bombarded with the latest cure-all. Back in the old days, it was the same. “Take this tonic. It’ll heal whatever ails you!” There were miracle medicine salesmen back then, and there are today. By the way, essential oils, anyone? Take some frankincense. Diffuse this. Make your whole house smell like eucalyptus mixed with pine berries.

It’s okay. Really. If you actually feel better with a pink drink, and you can afford it, do it. (There’s a new one coming out this month!)*

If you want your bedroom to smell like linament, it’s okay with me. It’s your home; you can do whatever you like.

If you want to eat cancer preventing seeds and drink exotic fruit drinks, more power to you.

If you believe that your gut flora—and fauna, anyone?—are responsible for everything in your life, then fine.

I chuckle, because there’s always so much hype around these products. (Have you also noticed they’re all sold exclusively by multi-level marketing?) “Try this—you can buy it through me—and you will be healthier, slimmer, and happier—and I’ll get silver status and be a star.”

“How much does it cost?”

“Only around $5 a day. Is that too much to pay for your health?" (They all say this.)

“So, for a month, that would be . . . $150?”

“With me, you can get this product for under $100 a month.”

“Great! And how many months will it take me to look like you?”

“You’ll love this product so much you’ll want to use it for life!”

“Hmm . . . at least $100/month extra for life . . . (No way am I sharing with my spouse! That would be $200/month!) How about your 45-day trial?”

So, instead of doing some reading about said product, praying and asking the Lord if it’s His will, and asking her husband if she (they) can afford it, Mrs. Housewife signs up for the miracle tonic.

Wouldn’t it be wiser to make sure our heart health was in tip-top shape? Then, wouldn’t our priorities line up with God’s will?

What is God’s priority order, anyway? It’s really interesting. You can boil it down to two words: God, and others. Jesus said, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:30-31).

Is our heart health right?

Do we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind? That’s God’s first priority. He wants all our love. (It’s also the first of the Ten Commandments.) This is the foundation! Love God with all our being. Really love Him! Make sure our heart focus is God, our soul is attuned to Him, and our mind is dwelling on Him. What doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul (from Deuteronomy 10:12).

Do we love our neighbor as we love ourselves? A lawyer once asked Jesus, Who is my neighbour? Jesus answered him with the story of the Good Samaritan. The priest passed, a Levite passed, and they didn’t help the wounded man. The Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise (story from Luke 10:29-37).

Yes, we need to care for our bodies. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19) It's quite okay to eat healthy, exercise, and take vitamins.

But, where should our number one priority be? Our heart health. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

May you discern God’s priorities today—love Him and love others.

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* Please understand, I’m only using a popular product and essential oils as illustrations. I have nothing either against or for them. I’ve not tried the pink drink or essential oils. It's perfectly fine if you love them and sell them. This post is about priorities.