HONORING GOD WITH OUR BODIES
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and 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.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
These words are written to the believers in the city of Corinth. The city was fully of sexual immorality. Some of the believers taught that there was a separation between your spirit and your body. They believed you could be saved in your spirit and whatever you did in your body was okay. This opened the door to sexual immorality even among some believers.
Paul pushed the point that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should honor God with our body. The way I treat my body either honors or dishonors God.
Some would be quick to say, “I don’t get involved in sexual immorality, so I am okay.” But let me push back a moment, is it possible we dishonor God when we abuse our body?
The Bible teaches three ways we honor God with our bodies beyond staying away from sexual immorality. First, we are taught to give our bodies REST. In Psalm 127 we are told, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” (Psalms 127:2 NLT)
If I am not getting proper rest, I am dishonoring God with my body!
Secondly, eat a BALANCED DIET. If we go to Genesis, chapter one, we discover the original diet of man was a lot of vegetables and fruit (Genesis 1:29-30). In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 God gave Moses instruction about what to eat and not eat—meat was a part of this approved diet. In Proverbs 23:20-21 we are encouraged to have moderation in our eating and drinking.
I think it is easy to realize that our diet should include lots of vegetables, fruit, and limited meat. We need to choose the fruit over the processed sugar.
Thirdly, we need REGULAR EXERCISE. Paul loves to talk in the New Testament about “beating” my body and making it my slave (1 Cor. 9:24-27). In our modern culture our body often becomes our master instead of our slave. We need to decide to commit ourselves to honor God with our bodies by the self-discipline of regular exercise.
As I write today’s devotion, I realize I am preaching to myself. I am uncomfortable sitting in my study today because I have not had my regular exercise for several days. Part of that was because of a recent surgery that restricted me from doing my normal routine, but part is I’ve allowed my schedule to get overwhelmed and haven’t done what I could have done.
So, I confess I’m guilty. I remind myself of what a wise man once told me, “You always have time for whatever is most important to you.”
If honoring God with my body is important to me, I will always have time for rest, eating right, and regular exercise. It is always my choice.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit please help me today to make honoring You with my body a priority. Forgive me for my laziness and excuses.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
Lord please give me the strength .