I got the donut experience this week! It was not nearly as sweet as the Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ kind. It was the medical kind.
Due to some cholesterol levels that were a little higher than my doctor wanted, I was referred to a local radiology clinic to get a “calcium score” of my heart. The entire process was non-invasive, very quick and completely painless (until the technician pulled the monitor feeds off my chest.) I am happy to say that the results were wonderful. I have never been so glad to be in the bottom one percentile of folks taking a test.
It really is incredible what medical science can do to discover the condition of your heart. There are echocardiograms, MRIs, CT scans, heart catherizations (and probably more evaluations I am not aware of.) You can even measure your own heart rate and blood pressure by looking at your watch! It goes without saying that the heart is an extremely important part of one’s physical health. If the heart is not functioning properly, all of the other organs are affected.
The heart is important to one’s spiritual health as well. When the prophet Samuel was searching for a king, he went to visit the home of Jesse. Samuel watched as seven of Jesse’s sons walked in front of him. As soon as Samuel saw the first son, he thought to himself, “This must be the one.” “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider how handsome or tall he is. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at what is in the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7) God was looking for one whose heart was fully devoted to Him.
Hearts with divided loyalties are not strong enough for the work of the Lord. Half-hearted commitment will never withstand the challenges of following Jesus. We are called to love the Lord with our whole heart. Serve the Lord with an unwavering heart. Give to the Lord with a generous heart. Worship the Lord with a grateful heart.
“The Lord keeps watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
-Dr. Jim Baldwin