Going this morning to the hospital for a parishioner who is having a procedure to check out his heart. They look for blockages and blood flow and stuff like that and it started me thinking. How often do we check out our hearts for spiritual efficiency?

Psalm 26:2 says, "Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out..." (The Message).  You only go for a full physical examination on an infrequent basis at best - maybe once a year. Maybe a full spiritual exam is necessary a lot more often. Maybe preventative spiritual medicine would keep us from experiencing the need for so much extensive heart surgery later on.

God, help me to be diligent in staying aware of my true spiritual state. Keep me alert to changes that signal negative patterns and give me the courage to surrender every part of my life to you for frequent examination and treatment.

Brian