Just this last week I went to the dentist. Many people have anxiety when it comes to the dentist. I am going to brag a little and tell on myself a little here. I’ve only ever had one cavity in my life and that one was so long ago I don't even remember it. Because of this I have found that my motivation to see the dentist is not very high. When Covid hit I didn’t keep up with my appointments, I moved twice and 5 years later I found myself neglecting my dental health. It was so easy to forget. I had been good, I brushed my teeth, flossed, well sometimes, and made sure not to eat or drink a lot of sugary things. When I finally did see a dentist, guess what! I still had no cavities. If you talk to any tooth enthusiast, AKA a dentist. They will tell you that regular check ups are extremely important for more than cavity checks. There are a number of different reasons why you should maintain a relationship with your dentist. As I sat in that chair this week I was reflecting on my regular check ups with God. Am I neglecting my time with Him because I haven’t had any cavities recently? Am I neglecting to check in with God because I’ve had a good track record and nothing hurts right now? Maybe God has something more for us than check-ins but can help more than we know. I have a sneaky suspicion that our God is more than a tooth enthusiast but he is a YOU enthusiast and He has plenty to share with us through His word. Do you want a healthy relationship with God? Lets see what we can learn about how to thrive with Him. 

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Luke 5:16

Dental hygiene and checking in with God really don’t have that many connections but the basic principle of maintaining a healthy relationship with the source of all life and goodness actually do have some overlap. We see a fantastic example of this, in fact the best example of this is Jesus’ time management. The bible tells us that before Jesus did anything each day He would be alone with God. Nobody was reminding Him. It's almost as if He knew that for the health of a person they needed to spend time with God. So here it is, principle number one: daily check in. Before you ask, no I do not want to match what you do for God with your dentist or the other way around. Jesus spent time daily with God, should you see your dentist every day? Probably not. You can think of it this way, your dental health is very important to your overall health. How much more is your spiritual health important to your overall health? 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2

The opening Psalm paints a beautiful picture of someone who finds success. The key to their success? Spending time in the word of God! Principle number two is simple; spend time doing the things God wants, reading His word! A healthy person does healthy things. That's simple math. The psalmist continues on in the opening psalm to describe this person who meditates on the word of God like a tree that brings forth fruits and is planted by a river. It’s the picture of a healthy person. Amazingly the Bible talks as if a healthy person finds life and sustenance in the word of God! Jesus echoes this when the devil tempts Him in the wilderness with food. Jesus tells Satan that Man is sustained by the word of God! Just like regular checkups we can find life by regularly partaking in God’s word. 

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

Is this journey supposed to be done alone? Nope! Unlike your dental hygiene you actually should go about your spiritual health with others. I’ve not heard of tooth brushing gatherings or support groups, most people find that this is something designed to be done alone. But that’s not what God intended for our spiritual journeys to be like. Early on in the Christian church we find a group of people who could have been cast to the wind. They had lost Jesus and instead of separating we see a picture of unity. Principle number three; grow together. The bible describes the Acts church as one who ate together, praised God together, enjoyed each other's company and were growing. I can’t help but think that God designed us to be together throughout this. 

When I finally went to the dentist after 5 years of not going, I’ll admit I was a bit anxious. I knew I didn’t have cavities, I knew my dental health was fine. I was scared of how they would react. I had no reason to be afraid, they were happy I was there. God will not shame you, He is happy that you sought Him out. I’m not sure if you’ve been keeping up with your spiritual health you can start now. Jesus spent time alone, He was sustained by the word of God and He sought out friends to journey with Him. You can start today. There is no shame in how long it's been, there is only love.