Reflection: This verse tells me that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He is in me because I received Him from God. That is why I am not my own. I was bought with a price (paid by Jesus’ life). I should then honor God with my body.
And if you believed, it includes you too.
It is not easy to practice not owning our bodies concerning this culture tells us that our bodies belong to us. It is our property to be used however we see fit, as long as we don’t hurt others. We give our bodies pleasures, what it craves, what it wants, and they became an idol for us to worship.
The bible said that our bodies are not our own anymore. It belongs to God because we are bought with the precious life of Jesus. Jesus died and was resurrected so that we can be redeemed.
As followers of Christ, we should not worship our bodies. It does not mean though that we ignore the importance of caring for our bodies. We take care of our bodies because it is designed to worship God. We may not be owners of our bodies but is they are given to us to be taken care of. We don’t want our bodies to be harmed, we protect them because they are God’s temples. And because they are God’s temples, we should not pollute them with worldly things that corrupt our minds and souls.
We don’t want this body to get sick and if we do get sick, we go to doctors or pray for healing. I believe there is a difference between caring for our bodies and giving what they crave.
I do take care of my body, but it is good to know that when I had done everything to take care of it and still it is not functioning as it should be because it has a chronic disease, then I just told God that it is His temple and I just entrust my body to Him. It gives me comfort to just rely on God when I just could not do anything because I am so weak.
Paul, the apostle said in Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship
Prayer: Dear God, thank You that it is You that owns our bodies, not us or the devil. Since You are the Creator, you know then what is best for our bodies. You promise in Your Word (Jeremiah 29:11) that your plan is to prosper us and not harm us. To give us hope and a future. I pray then Oh God for help to differentiate what is right and wrong for our bodies so that we will not pollute them. So that we will not hinder your promises to manifest in our lives. Let us be temples that You have the pleasure to reside. A living sacrifice. In Jesus’ precious name. I pray. Amen