When I drive by a large wall, building, or any structure that someone has so ignorantly vandalized, my heart is saddened. I see gang signs painted on places, and I wonder why. Why ruin a perfectly and probably intentional structure? What type of satisfaction does that give to someone knowing that they have damaged someone else’s property? Does that action make the one who did the vandalism feel powerful? Well, I think it’s pretty stupid and sad.
Let’s turn the tables, sheepishly, to ourselves. Don’t we do things to our bodies that are irresponsible and sad? Why?
Okay, please stay with me as I play on words.
Temple: a holy place.
Holy: something sanctified.
Sanctified: free from sin or blessed through a religious vow.
Blessed: bestowing joy.
Vow: a serious promise.
Joy: great happiness.
Promise: an assurance that something will be done or not done.
Assurance: confidence.
A temple is a holy place that has been joyfully freed from sin and has confidence in a promise. That’s you, my Christian friend. You are God’s temple. You have been filled with joy. You have been freed from your sin. You now have confidence in The Promise, God’s pledge to us all.
In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 we read, “You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.”
I always tell my children, and remind myself, that God is in you therefore always with you. Bring glory and honor to Him. He is always there, watching and listening.
So the next time you feel the need to “vandalize” your body, remember… it’s not yours. You belong to God. You are His temple. Treasure yourself and take care of how you treat yourself inside and out.
Blessings to you.
August 28, “Walking in the Word”