Working out, eating healthy & drinking clean water are cornerstones in our family. These healthy habits keep our bodies running like strong machines so we can attend to the other facets of life. Like anything good, however, we can miss the meaning of the discipline & the good-thing can become a little-g god-thing.
Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 6:19 of the link between our bodies & the Temple in Israel. Before I share that, however, I want to tell you about Solomon’s dedication of the Temple. The glorious Presence of the Lord becomes so thick that the priests have to stop their sacrifices!
3 times in the passage Solomon declares, “I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.”
After the 3rd mention, I paused to ask:
Why do we build OURS?
OR
Why do we NOT?
Remember Paul's reminder?
In a sassy-pants kinda way, I can almost see him scoffing when he declares,
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you & was given to you by God?
You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.“
Talk about an imperative sock to the gut!
The Temple of Israel is a place of worship, where God resides & promises to watch over the place He calls, “My name will be there.”
How might we care for our bodies & use them in ways that glorify the Father, remembering that we house His Presence?
The why behind the what of caring for our bodies is not mere stewardship, but a spiritual act of worship!
We all want to look nice, feel great & have lots of energy, but for what purpose?
I often remind my husband that we’re like Ferraris who need fancy fuel SO THAT we can do all the things God calls us to do…& that’s true. But 1st & foremost, we “build” healthy bodies as a Temple to honor HIS name, remembering that we are the ones He calls, “My name will be there.”
Oh Father, help us steward our bodies as ones who bear Your Name! May the foods we eat, water we drink, actions we take & even clothes we wear, be a spiritual act of worship! May we not misuse the bodies You’ve given & ever remember that they are not our own, using them only to house Your glorious Presence!
1 KINGS 8:1-66
ACTS 7:51-8:13
PSALM 129:1-8
PROVERBS 17:1
Comments