Love the Lord with Your Body - The Crosswalk Devotional - October 15
Love the Lord with Your Body
By Amanda Idleman
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Our bodies are the most tangible forms of ourselves. We also are made up of a heart that feels, a soul that connects with our spiritual selves, and a mind that helps us reason. Our bodies are what we see, feel, hear, and process this world with. It is flesh that God formed from dust and breathed life into. Our bodies are profoundly significant.
The Bible articulates the significance of our bodies in many places. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” God calls us temples of the Holy Spirit! He calls us His. He tells us we are valuable because God gave so much so we could find freedom here on Earth in the skin we are currently in.
Our culture throws so many mixed messages about how key our bodies are to how we feel, experience pleasure, find peace and comfort, internalize shame, and cultivate health.
Many of us are sold the lies that our flesh is the boss of us. It does not need to surrender to the loving guidelines the scripture lays out for how we use our bodies. When we find something that makes our bodies feel good that is what we should chase after. Our flesh is our leader and our god.
Others are living under the weight of the lie that you should live in shame over what your bodies look like. Living always striving for that perfect shape, color, style, hair, and more. Sadly, this lie from the enemy seeps into our minds so much younger than we can imagine. Studies show that children as young as three can begin to develop body image issues.
No wonder we are all confused, struggling to find the right way to be in a body as a believer. The devil is on the move distracting us from God’s truth that we are HIS, valuable because we were bought at a price and called the be a holy temple that reflects God’s own nature with our lives.
Be a good steward of the body God has given you because it is a gift.
God has called us to care for our bodies because we are precious vessels, not out of shame. He wants us to honor our bodies with our habits because he wants us to be free from shame, and he wants us to enjoy this tent he has given us as much as we can. When we approach our diet and lifestyle goals, we need to break up with the message of the world that says you need to do this because you are failing or aren’t good enough, or aren’t loveable. These are lies! You are loved! You are enough! You are beautiful!
Let’s invest in our health, in caring for ourselves, in feeding ourselves well, moving our bodies, allowing space to rest, and making room for community and more because we want to be good stewards of the gift of life God has given us. We don’t have to be compelled by shame but can see our daily movement or our green salad for lunch as a choice that we make because we know we are so loved.
Your body is a vessel created for worship.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our bodies are connected to our spiritual journeys therefore, what we do with our bodies matters to God. When we begin to view how we use our bodies as a matter of worship, we gain a healthy lens to filter our desires through. Proverbs 14:12 warns us that there is a way that appears right to man but, in the end, leads to death.
God’s lens of truth that we find in the Bible guides us and tells us that we should be careful what we consume (Ephesians 5:18), it gives us parameters on how our sexuality should be expressed (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), it instructs us to be mindful about what we watch avoiding worthless things (Psalm 101:3), God encourages us to use kind words because our tongues are powerful (Ephesians 4:29), and more!
Basically, our bodies are the way we express our faith. Every part of how we use them is a part of our worship of God. When we see our lives this way, we realize the grace that comes into our lives when we walk surrendered to God and not to our sinful passions.
Our bodies need rest.
We all need a rhythm that includes daily time to rest and connect with the Lord. This can look like morning coffee, reading, and journaling. Whatever it looks like for you it should be a time of daily rest and connection with our living God. We need a weekly Sabbath. This is a day of worship and relaxation. We honor God when we honor our body's need for rest.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Take time to reflect on the beliefs you hold about your body and how they connect to your faith. Are you living in shame? Have you failed to surrender your desires to the Lord? Have you neglected caring for your body? Pray and ask God to help you love him with your body well.
Further Reading:
3 Ways to Love the Lord with Your Body
Happy Hour Podcast #503 Love the Lord with Your Body
Revelation Wellness
Photo credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/Mkovalevskaya
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