03.21.12
1 Corinthians 6.19-20 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. NASB
I don’t know how much time we spend, or ought to spend, on thinking about our bodies. Is that right? Is it bodies or body? Maybe it’s body. Who knows, who cares? The body is the issue here. Ownership is the issue of the body – who owns it? Did we think about that the last time we shoved another Twinkie (right, they don’t make those anymore) in our cake-hole? I wonder. If I could do it, I would put together a photo of two average overweight Americans and entitle it: Graze Anatomy. The things we do to what is in our skin.
Today, as I swilled my 69 cent cup of McCoffee (I think they are secretly giving me senior discounts) I didn’t give much thought to my body and the fact that it’s a temple of the Holy Spirit – that it’s not mine and it was bought with a price. I didn’t think much today about glorifying God in (or with) my body. Did you?
So what does it mean to glorify God in our body? Does it mean take care of it; give it proper rest and nourishment? Does it mean I wash it, and clothe it, and make sure it gets the right kind of physical stress? Does it mean not too much of the wrong kind of stress. Do I use my body to glorify God with my voice in what I say and how my vocal cords are used? Do I use my body to glorify God with my thoughts – thinking things that are pleasing to Him? My body is in one sense a tool to help me accomplish a life for God. That ought to count for something. I couldn’t do much life without it.
And what is a temple anyway? It is a sacred place? Does it have a sacred space? I think the body is all of these things and more. I know it’s a marvel of creation. I cannot think of any mechanical instrument that matches the agility of the human hand in its ability to manipulate (in the truest sense of the word) the smallest objects. The fact that our mind can make our mouth work (and that our mouth can sometimes accommodate our foot, all on its own) – it’s a creative marvel! I can’t speak for you but I will admit, I don’t think about the sacredness of this carcass all that much. Usually about twice a year when I read these verses… But I ought to do it more – after all, twice a year I am reminded that it is a temple of Holy Spirit.
Tonight, I am grateful for the health I have despite the things I have done to God’s property all these years. Lately, I have been thinking about taking a little bit better care of what I live in that doesn’t belong to me. It’s probably about time to quit just thinking and start just doing – after all, I’m only a tenant is this tent. And this tent is the medium God has chosen for me to enjoy the marvel and wonder of this present life; and to get ready for the next.
So I ought to take care of what I have. I need to be careful not to worship it (at my age it isn’t too tough to avoid that), and I really need to have a proactive approach to taking better care of it. I think my first step is to use my knees as prayer-bones and give God thanks and glory for the body He has given me; and then tuck it into bed at about nine or so and let it sleep until about five or so, so that, fully rested, I can go out tomorrow and walk, hand-in-hand, with my Creator throughout the day He’s provided as well…
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