Every person in the entire world has been given the gifts of a body and soul from God.
It is up to us to steward them well and honor God with these gifts.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, tells us that: “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God…you are not your own, for you were bought with a price”.
Jesus bought you with a price and that price was shedding His blood, dying on the cross and rising again! You have been freed from sin and you are now free to use your body to serve Christ and others. How awesome!! Through faith, the Holy Spirit is with you and now lives in you. He makes you holy, so you are a temple of the Lord.
“…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God – this is your true and proper worship”
Romans 12:1
You are holy and acceptable to God because of the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. As a living sacrifice, He has now set you apart as one of His children. Something that is set apart as holy must be kept pure.
So how do we care for our bodies as a temple and keep ourselves pure, so to say?
Well, we eat healthy food and stay active, but we also avoid things that are bad for our bodies and our minds. This also includes substances that alter our decision-making abilities or are addictive. Getting drunk, smoking, vaping and using marijuana or other drugs damages our bodies and minds.
When we aren’t sober-minded, we can’t be sensitive to God’s voice and it’s harder to act in ways that glorify Him.
Addictions make something else more important than God and shift our focus away from Christ. Also, something that alters the mind leaves us open to the attacks of the devil.
In 1 Peter 5, we are warned to
“be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
When we are sober-minded, God transforms our minds and we can dedicate ourselves to the holy purposes of God. We “glorify God in our bodies” (1 Cor. 6:20) as His temple and bring glory to Christ by sharing His love and forgiveness with others. Our hope is not in substances to numb us from suffering for a time, but we set our hope fully on the grace of Christ, a hope that is unfailing!
I encourage you today to take a look at your life and ask yourself a couple questions:
- Am I glorifying God with my body and mind?
- What am I doing well in this area?
- What am I struggling with?
- What are some practical strategies I can take to help myself with the struggles?
Maybe you need to put some internet filters on your phone to block the porn you watch. Maybe you need to stop hanging out with your friends who are getting drunk or doing drugs. Maybe you need to buy less junk food. Get honest with yourself!
And remember, none of us are perfect are stewarding our bodies. When we mess up, we repent, ask God’s forgiveness and ask Him to help us do better next time. God is always faithful in love and forgiveness.
