1 Corinthians 16:19-20
Haven’t you yet learned
that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he
lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has
bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give
glory back to God because he owns it.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Sunday
afternoon, I played “Washing Machine” in the pool with Timothy, Zola,
and Nathan. FYI…this is a game best played “one-on-one!” Basically, I
assumed a wide stance on the pool floor, wrapped my arms around all
three children and held onto their lifejackets…and “agitated” them back
and forth, then bounced us all up and down.
Two days later, I
feel the results in my shoulders and upper back… in my legs and hips…and
basically, all over! Very clearly, I hear God telling me…”You’re too
old for that, Sister! But you had better find other ways to keep up
your strength, so that you can keep up with these three little
fireballs!”
I don’t share this to complain about my “ailment.”
God has blessed me with great health, and I have no room to fuss about
anything. I know so many who have genuine aches and pains…maladies that
are truly impacting their quality of life. Many people, including my
own mother, are facing life-altering illnesses like cancer, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, MS, and more. Others are debilitated by strokes,
accidents that brought the sudden onset of a myriad of problems, and
health concerns that have changed their lives forever – sometimes in an
instant. I watched an interview with a young woman who survived a
bullet to the spine during the recent shooting in Oregon, and I heard
her say that she would never take a minute of her life for granted
again…because she stared death in the face.
The point is
this…many will reference this chapter of 1 Corinthians and talk about
our body with relation to sexual purity. But there is so much more to
the Apostle Paul’s message. Our bodies truly do belong to God. And
while I refuse to believe that He causes ailments and injuries –
particularly as a form of “punishment,” I do believe that God looks at
what will befall us and says, “Okay…how will I use this for my glory?
How will I strengthen ABC and those who know him/her through this
experience?” I believe that God gives us an opportunity to say,
“LORD…this is YOUR vessel…show me how to use it to further Your
kingdom.”
This is how you see people move forward in life as if
everything was perfectly fine, even when their bodies are literally
falling apart! This grace and strength is what should propel each of us
forward…encourage us to take the best care of our bodies that we
can…and glorify God when illness and injury come our way. As Paul
reminds us in this passage, God paid a tremendous price for us. We are
each precious and valuable to Him. It’s time we acted like we believe
this!
Take stock of your own life today and see where you are
treating your body with less respect and honor than you should.
Discover where you are griping and complaining instead of looking for a
way to turn your ailment into a blessing - or an opportunity to share
how powerful God’s Holy Spirit is within you. And listen to your body –
and to God’s voice. We are pretty much the “occupant” – and God is the
“Landlord.” Maybe the “Washing Machine” game needs to be replaced with
“London Bridge” or something less strenuous that won’t cause so much
“wear and tear” on His property!
Are you a good tenant of the body God has loaned you? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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