During Memorial Day weekend, I spent several hours doing some fairly strenuous work around the house. Oddly enough, some of my clearest thinking happens while doing simple, repetitive tasks—this time was while feeding branches into the chipper.
As I worked, I reflected on a comment made after a recent health sermon I presented. One church member told my wife at our information table about needing to consume meat due to the physical rigors of his profession.
I was not there at the time, so I did not have the opportunity to talk with him. Sometimes people express opinions about health that are based on their preferences, culture, upbringing, or something other than the Word of God bolstered by scientific research. The conversation stayed with me, though, because I imagine he is not alone in holding that belief.
As Wellness Support director for the Rocky Mountain Conference, I take seriously the responsibility of doing more than simply sharing personal opinions. When discussing health, especially subjects like the use of animal products in the diet, I want to rely on the strongest foundations possible. For me, that foundation includes both the counsel God has graciously given through Ellen G. White and the growing body of scientific evidence supporting those principles.
Of course, there are many opinions on these topics. But opinions, even sincerely held ones, can sometimes lead us toward conclusions or practices that may not produce the best outcomes physically, mentally, or spiritually.
That is why I try to be careful not to build my beliefs merely on preference, tradition, or convenience. Instead, I believe we should all be willing to examine our assumptions, honestly and prayerfully, especially when those assumptions may be tied to habits we cherish.
As followers of Christ, we are called to pursue truth with humility and openness. Sometimes that journey challenges long-held beliefs. Yet growth often begins when we are willing to ask ourselves not simply, “What do I prefer?” but rather, “What is true, and what is better?”
—Rick Mautz is the Rocky Mountain Conference Wellness Support director. Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán of Pexels.
