Do you take care of your physical body? Do you get regular checkups? Are you willing to follow instructions from your doctor? Will you adhere to the instructions of a physical therapist? Do you know you are God’s temple?
We are aware of so many maladies and sicknesses today, it seems there is no way for even one person to not be less than 100% healthy for one reason or another. A bit confusing? It seems if any one of us were to go through an extremely thorough physical examination, the doctors would find something wrong. Perhaps it’s due to not any two of us being the same.
We are the temple of God. That means God lives inside us. In fact, He lives in every living we see and every living thing we see, including us, live in God. Yet, as the temple of God, we have a responsibility to take care of what belongs to Him.
Before you start getting all upset, thinking I’m going to tell you to get in shape to run a marathon, I’m not going to say that. I would never say that to everyone. However, I do believe God wants us to take care everything He has blessed us with, including our bodies.
Peter says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that the Holy Spirit lives within us. Just a few verses above that in verse 12, He could easily be talking to our modern American culture when he says we think we have the right to do anything, yet he says not everything is beneficial.
So, what I am I driving at? God expects us to take care of our bodies. That means we should eat right, exercise, and protect ourselves. No, not all of us are athletes nor are all of us designed to be ballerinas. However, we are all designed to work for God. He has set tasks for us to do. If we don’t take care of ourselves, how can we do what He wants us to do?
Do we think about taking care of our bodies, keeping them healthy in order to do God’s work? I can say I don’t really like going to the doctor. I don’t really like taking medicine. Yet, I go for my annual checkups and take prescribed medicine when needed.
I ask myself often if I’m doing what I should to take care of God’s temple. Over the years, I have made several changes to do just that. I won’t say I do it perfectly, yet I will say I continue to improve how I take care of myself. We all need to take a look at how well we are taking care of God’s temple.
I pray we all recognize we are God’s temple. I pray we decide to take care of what God has blessed us with. I pray each one of us will commit to taking care of ourselves. Be vigilant in taking care of your body. Know that God lives in you. Understand that God has expectations. Be capable of doing the work God has set before you.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Marty Pressey 