1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Have you ever sat back and daydreamed about what your perfect house would be? How about planning out in meticulous detail how and what you want to remodel in your current home? Maybe you don’t own the house you are living in, but have thought about what you would add to make it more of a home for now?
Most of us through our lifetime have spent time on at least one of these questions. I know for myself that I spent a long time working on where I was living, while looking for that property that would make my family even happier. Even once we did find that next house, we had to put our personal touch on it which hasn’t stopped yet.
Whether you are flipping through channels on the TV and you come across a home improvement show or even just an ad for one of the home improvement stores, our minds may start clicking with the possibilities. Many of us do this without thinking about the why because most of us like to dream and get lost in those fantasies.
There is nothing wrong with wanting a nice space to live in, a safe place for your children to play in, or just a quiet spot to relax in. When we plan a dream it is easy to get carried away and not take everything into consideration. Many times we may not even consider if it needs to be done or even really needed, but dreaming may take us away to what we think is a better place.
Now let’s do a little bit of personal reflection. It was not long after I finished the last commentary I was given to write, when I felt convicted. I know that God is there to bring us out of our shadows no matter how dark they are, but are we equipped to really be the reflection of God that He is calling us to be.
If our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit to live in, what does our temple look like? This may be a question the many of us don’t want to answer. You may think of yourself like a fine mansion, a nice split level with bulging front wall, or maybe a rundown shack with the roof falling off. This also depends how critical you are of yourself.
I have played rollercoaster much of my life going from looking like a nice modest ranch home to a half double with peeling paint with a few busted windows. I retired from one career, but still work to keep busy. So it was easy for me to want to kick back and making excuses was even easier. Things like, I’ll worry about it after the holidays or I’m just too tired to care.
It was time to get myself together again and rebuild my temple into at least a modest cottage. As I reflected I some realized that I didn’t need to just clean up and repair the outside, I needed to work on the inside as well. Many of us have trouble admitting we know that what happens on the inside also has a direct effect on the outside.
What we eat and drink can help our bodies heal itself or help destroy it bit by bit. The world makes it easy to bring harm with its fast food, convenient snacks, and plentiful energy drinks. I had to remind myself to again start checking the packages of what I was eating and found that I could not pronounce many of the ingredients.
We get good guidance on how to view things in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” As with other things, if we are not glorifying God in what we do, then we should be looking to change what we are doing. I know some of us may be health fanatics, but how many others actually take the time to reflect on what goes into their bodies?
We all should also know that this is only part of preparing our temple for the Holy Spirit. Besides worrying about the health of the structure, we have to take the nerve center into consideration. Our minds and our bodies are connected in more ways than we know and effect many things throughout the day. Romans 12:1-2 shows this connection as well.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Not many of us can say that we honestly present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Some of us may even put on a good show even though we know we are lacking. We may be able to fool some of the people around us, but we can’t fool God. When we turn our bodies into a cesspool or clutter our minds with garbage, the less we want the Spirit to be with us.
So, join me in the challenge to change the way we look at how we treat our bodies and minds and then let them be a reflection of Christ as in Philippians 1:20. “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” With that please enjoy “Rebuild My House Again.”
REBUILD MY HOUSE AGAIN
Everywhere I look I see all the work that needs to be done,
The list keeps getting longer and doesn’t seem like much fun.
Sometimes I just feel so tired that all I want to do is rest,
Then disappointment sets in because I am not doing my best.
A new pain or ill feeling sets in from somewhere deep inside me,
I don’t even want to look in a mirror anymore afraid what I will see.
Lord, when did I stop keeping up and fall so far behind?
I wish there was a button that would cause everything to rewind.
Dear child there are always many options when you want to rearrange,
Realizing that you need to is the first step to making any change.
If you remember that your body is a temple for my Spirit to live inside,
You should want a dwelling to be proud of, not one you wish to hide.
Should your remodel be from the inside out or from the outside in?
Faithfully pray and search my word you will find out where to begin.
So come to me to consult what is needed as often as you can,
Together we can plan for the future and Rebuild My House Again.
Simple Faith Christian
Copyright 2021
Simple Faith Christian 