One afternoon last week a massage client, a professor at the nearby university, told me the story of one of her students who was recently converted while at a large Christian convention. The student debated whether or not to wear jewelry to the convention, which would be attended primarily by conservative Seventh-day Adventists, a traditionally non-jewelry-wearing population. After all, she didn’t want to be a stumbling block. (1 Corinthians 8:9) But her friends convinced her it was no big deal and she wore what she wanted.

The girl’s conversion began (though certainly Someone was laying the groundwork for a long time beforehand) when she struck up a conversation with a stranger when she arrived at the convention. The woman she spoke with said something about Jesus shining through us, and by the end of the conversation the girl spontaneously and voluntarily removed all of her jewelry. Once back home, she felt so convicted against the wearing of jewelry that she gathered up her collection and threw it in the trash. Incredulous, her friends asked, “Why didn’t you at least give it to us?!” She said she’d felt the need to purge herself of it because she realized it was a stumbling block for her, an idol which came between her and God.

I tell this story most respectfully, and praise God if someone’s relationship with Him has been strengthened.

But I couldn’t help wondering—pearl earrings perched on my earlobes, pearl solitaire necklace dangling from my neck, diamond engagement ring and accompanying wedding band sitting on the bathroom counter waiting to be returned to my finger when the massage was over—if my (non-jewelry-wearing) client was “subtly” preaching at me. Or was she just so caught up in her excitement about the conversion of the student she cared so much about, that she forgot my jewelry?

I grew up in a conservative SDA (non-jewelry-wearing) home. When I was maybe 7 or 8, my dad (a pastor) and I happened upon a Sunday morning church service broadcast on TV. I noticed the earrings the women in the choir wore, and I turned to my dad and asked, “Why don’t we wear jewelry?”

He picked up a Bible and (I tell this story most respectfully as well) opened it to 1 Peter 3:3, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.” I remember thinking, even at that age, “Then why is it okay to braid and curl our hair?”

Despite my dad’s best efforts to reinforce this lesson periodically as appropriate occasions arose (and again, I mean this most respectfully), my subsequent study and life experience leads me to the conclusion that wearing jewelry or not is not a salvation issue. In the realm of spiritual things, to me it’s a VW-sized mosquito, as a friend puts it.

For one thing, the context of 1 Peter 3:3 is Paul speaking to Christian wives whose husbands are unconverted. What I hear him tell these women is to make sure that their inner adornment matched or exceeded any outward adornment they wore, so that their behavior demonstrated Christ’s love to their husbands. Now that’s a principle I can agree carries over to all Christians.

For another, the cultural context out of which Seventh-day Adventism arose was heavily influenced by Puritanical values—which included that of dressing plainly. It could very easily be argued that the idea of jewelry being sinful is a “folklore theology” originating out of this cultural context.

I’ve heard arguments against jewelry from others, but none have ever made much intellectual sense. The weakest was that of an SDA tele-evangelist. Since heaven’s streets are paved with gold (Revelation 21:21), he said, gold is the equivalent of asphalt. Why would you want to wear asphalt in your ears?

I told my husband about my client’s story and my ensuing questions. “People do so many horrible things,” he began. “Much worse than wearing jewelry.” I imagined the response from an anti-jewelry-wearer: Nothing is worse than putting your own desires before God’s.

My husband continued: How does not wearing jewelry make the world a better place? I played the devil’s advocate (yes, I see the irony in using that phrase here) and recited, as I was taught, “Because if your jewelry isn’t drawing people’s attention to you, then they will more clearly see Jesus.” But, he said, what if your jewelry made people notice you, and then because they noticed you, they also noticed your faith in Jesus? I laughed. Besides, he said, people find ways to draw attention to themselves without jewelry. They buy large homes, drive expensive cars, wear fancy clothes or even (in the case of many SDAs) gem-encrusted brooches, or gold engagement watches (a tradition which used to replace the engagement ring). I agreed; people who want to draw attention to themselves can do so even without outward things: their speech, the way they carry themselves, even piety can be used to get attention. Limiting the definition of “adornment” to jewelry alone is missing the point, it seems.

“How about if instead of spending money on jewelry, you put it towards combating world hunger or AIDS or some other plight afflicting those less fortunate?” I asked. Yes, he said, but people will spend their money on anything other than giving to the needy. I agreed. And this idea could very easily be taken to the extreme: Maybe all Christians should live as the apostle Paul did, traveling lightly through life and giving all our material possessions to those less fortunate. But does God call all of us to live that way? Or does He call some to live that way, and others to a life of balance—giving to those less fortunate while also enjoying what He blesses us with?

I decided that the one direct correlation I could find between jewelry and the plight of the world is blood diamonds. I know little more about blood diamonds than what’s in the movie, but it seems eliminating the demand for blood diamonds would indeed make the world a better place for those forced to mine them.

The truth is, I wear jewelry in good conscience and never really think about it—until, that is, I hear a story like this one about my client’s student, in which someone is “convicted by the Holy Spirit” to remove theirs. Then I second-guess myself (something I’m rather prone to do as a general rule anyway). Some would say that’s the Holy Spirit speaking to me.

But is it? If I find no definitive instruction in the Bible not to wear jewelry, why would the Holy Spirit try to convince me otherwise? What does it mean when I find myself second-guessing my Bible-based convictions? Can they be called “convictions” if they’re so easily second-guessed? Does it mean the self-doubt is of man and not God? Or if I re-evaluate those convictions, will I learn a new truth? Because “Bible truths” have been evolving for centuries. But that begs another question: How many times must one person revisit one topic in one lifetime?

Back to the Holy Spirit: If it’s not the Holy Spirit speaking to me, then was it the Holy Spirit speaking to my client’s student? If so, why does He persuade different people of different things? If not, what was it?

I don’t know. I can come up with only two options, neither of which is very satisfying: Either truth is relative and sin is situational, or what we think is the Holy Spirit is really just The Committee, the peanut gallery, the voice of our upbringing or of the group we currently want to belong to.

Because at “the Holy Spirit’s prompting,” or at least in the name of God, people have done many things. Many good things, but also many horrific things, from the Crusades to blowing up the Twin Towers.

Okay, that may be a stretch.

My point is, we so easily make VWs out of mosquitoes. And we try so hard to make things black and white. At its core, Christianity is about accepting Jesus as your Savior. Everything else is secondary. And frankly, I find nearly everything else to be a little gray.

The inner characteristics which “outward adornment” supposedly demonstrates are not eliminated simply by taking out your earrings or removing your rings and necklaces. I know, I know—it’s supposed to be symbolic of what’s happening in the heart. But what happens in someone’s heart is up to the Holy Spirit—not you. I know, I know—when you shared your beliefs about jewelry with me, you felt you were following the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

So here we are again. Perhaps this is really my point: How to decipher the voice of the Holy Spirit from the voice of The Committee?

I don’t know that either, other than to check what you’re “hearing” against the principles laid out in the Bible.

These are big topics and much more could be said, but I’ll end with the principles I understand right now: I try to be a loving, kind, unselfish person—matching my inner adornment with anything outward. I try to balance my luxuries with generosity. And my continual prayer is for an open heart, an eagerness to learn, and a willingness to tear down my “blind spots”–those issues that I subconsciously choose not to look at honestly and rationally.

Because we all have blind spots; they’re just in different places.

By Pastor Doug Batchelor

Contributions by Emily Simmons

The research of Harold Koenig of Duke University Medical Center reveals that people who pray daily have stronger immune systems. Those who attend a place of worship—church, synagogue, mosque or temple—live longer, happier, healthier lives. Hospital patients for whom prayer is part of their regular routine are discharged sooner. Ever received a prescription for prayer from your doctor? According to a Parade magazine survey, 95% of physicians consider prayer an important part of their patients’ overall well-being.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind… Romans 12:2 I wonder what the “pattern of this world” was in Paul’s day. In our society, we push ourselves to the limit, filling up every moment of our days with some activity. But does activity equal accomplishment? We judge our lives productive and meaningful when we’re actually just busy.

One of Satan’s oldest and most common (and effective!) ploys is to keep us busy. Especially doing “good” things. Remember the story of Mary and Martha? …Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’ Luke 10:38-42

I love hostessing and entertaining, so I identify with Martha. Every time I read that story I want to say—“But Jesus…!” Isn’t it important that the house look nice? Isn’t it important to have a good meal prepared? It may be, but…

How easily we become “humans doing” rather than human beings. Neglecting what is better for what is good. But research also shows that the brains of animals exposed to too much stimulation cease developing.

I work with people who want to lose weight, lower blood pressure or cholesterol and improve their fitness. I help them follow through on their good intensions; I’m a wellness coach. We define their long-term health-related goal and then break it down into bite-size pieces. We determine what it will take week by week, and then I call them each week to ask if they followed through. The most common excuse I hear for not following through is, “This was just a busy week for me…” Or, “This is a really busy time of year for me…” As if any other week or any other time of year is less busy! I’m not afraid to remind them that life is busy; we simply make time for what we want to make time for.

So how do you remedy this tendency to overwork? Start by scheduling 30 minutes every day to do whatever you want to, and keep this appointment with yourself just as you would an appointment with anyone else. Incorporate prayer and meditation on God’s word into your daily routine. Consider instituting a weekly vacation: Take one day in seven, like the Jewish Sabbath, to rest and refocus your life from an eternal perspective. Turn off the TV, avoid the mall; instead, spend time with other believers and with God.

People recognize a peaceful, meaningful, centered life from a long way off and want to know how to get it.

All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practice… We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10… Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts. (Ellen White, Ministry of Healing, p. 58)

In the words of St. Augustine, “You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

Four ways to improve your relationship with God:

1)      Spend time with Him in conversation (also known as “prayer”)

2)      Worship and fellowship with other believers

3)      Read and study the Bible

4)      Apply to your life what you learn

I used to work as a wellness coach for a Christian organization which, among other things, actively promoted the health and well-being of its members. In a department meeting one day, my boss asked us these questions: Does it matter to God whether we are healthy or not? And why do we, as health educators, focus so much on nutrition and exercise when health and wellness actually encompass so much more than that?

Christians are well-acquainted with the concept of our bodies as a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20) Beyond a moral obligation to health, a well-nourished and fit body allows you to “do” the rest of life much more effectively.

Good nutrition and physical fitness lay the foundation for health and wellness. Rather than being clouded by pain and discomfort, the mind of a fit and healthy person is clear and can pursue other things—such as listening for God’s voice and discovering the individual purpose to which God calls each one of us. Moreover, healthy people live longer! And they experience a higher quality of life in their later years. That means a healthy person will be around longer to accomplish his individual God-given purpose. Additionally, statistics show that healthy employees miss fewer days of work and are significantly more productive on the job. That means a healthy person can accomplish more of her individual God-given purpose!

Now, if in fact your health matters to God, then doesn’t that make being healthy in and of itself a part of His purpose for your life?

As a wellness coach, I frequently hear the “too busy” excuse for not exercising or not eating well. In all honesty, I’ve used the excuse myself! As if what I have on my to-do list is so much more important than what God asks me to do! In that staff meeting, my former boss made another significant point: God will never ask you to accomplish more than is humanly possible in the amount of time He gives you. In other words, there is always enough time to do what God asks you to do. He not only calls you to an individual purpose, but He provides you with the resources necessary to accomplish that purpose: time, energy, talents, money, and the support of family, friends and other believers. We each get 24 hours a day; if He wants us to be healthy, then there is no such thing as not having time to exercise and eat healthy—unless we are focused on the wrong things.

That begs the question: If I am consistently unable to find time to exercise and eat healthy, what is filling my time that might be outside of God’s will, and why? What keeps us from exercising and eating healthy when we know it’s so essential to living well, and may even be part of God’s purpose for our lives?

For one thing, Satan’s oldest, most common (and effective!) ploy is to keep us so busy doing “good” things that we neglect the “best” things. We become “humans doing” rather than human beings.

We all have what you might call a peanut gallery of people watching our lives, whose expectations we try to fill. Who is in your gallery? It may be your dead grandmother, your spouse, your boss, your parents, your children, your neighbors… How much are these people’s expectations, spoken or unspoken, shaping your life? What things are you trying to accomplish that you might be able to let go of and still be doing what God asks you to do?

A good friend and former professor of mine explained once that she begins her day by making a to-do list of the things she wants to accomplish that day. Pausing a moment before rushing out to attack the list, she prays over it. “God, please help me to accomplish what you want me to accomplish today. Help me to let go of what’s on this list that is not important to You, and be open to the new things that present themselves that are important to You.”

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1, 2

Consider whose expectations are influencing your daily decisions, what you’re trying to accomplish that may be “good” but not “best”, and how you might arrange your life to better accomplish God’s purpose for you—and be sure to make time to build a healthy foundation!