In What Shape Is My Temple?

I recently heard a sermon on the familiar story of Daniel. The beautiful thing about Scripture is that it's Living and Active and the Holy Spirit reveals new thoughts and challenges to meet us where we are at in our journey through life. The part that jumped out at me last Sunday was in Daniel 1:8-16 where Daniel and his friends were determined not to defile themselves with royal food and wine. After a period of 10 days, they looked healthier and better nourished than those who had eaten the royal food. So, the choice food was taken away and everyone was served vegetables instead!

I admire them for being willing to go 'extreme' for the Lord! They knew that taking care of their bodies, physically and spiritually, would allow God to use them in mightier ways than they ever imagined!

Healthy diets and lives with exercise plans are permeating the culture all around us. It's scientifically proven that eating our fruits and vegetables help us live longer. Regular exercise helps us feel better. 

After this reminder that healthy eating is Bibically-based and scientifically proven, I stumble upon a friend's blog where she shares her heart about Building Him a Temple. This quote challenged me: "Our body is not our temple, but His. And I'm the one He has entrusted to building Him a temple. That thought is humbling. Have you ever recognized that before? He believes in you and YOUR ability to build HIM a dwelling place!!"

For example, my husband and I are embarking on the adventure of building a house. We have entrusted our builder to use good, quality material to build our home based on plans that have been drawn. How disappointing it would be if he, instead, used old and battered materials to build a poor quality house! The house wouldn't function properly or last as long. In the same way, our bodies can't function how they are meant to if we are filling up on junk and we may even prevent ourselves from living for God to our fullest potential.

Am I encouraging everyone to eat organic and take up running? No! But, I do believe in being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and what He is asking each of us to do, which looks differently for each individual. Perhaps, that means exchanging a daily snack of M&M's for a carrot stick. Maybe it's giving up soda. Maybe it's just being more aware of what goes in your temple and trying to make healthier choices each day. 

My friend's second post sums it up so well. "We embrace exactly where we are and who we are and yet, we also acknowledge and admit... and then confess to Him that it may not be where He is leading and calling us to be. And so next, we embrace the journey to creating a healthy temple for His dwelling. That is not only done by what we allow to enter our bodies through our eyes, mind, heart, mouths and emotions, but it also involves what we put out of our bodies by our words and deeds. So, we begin making decisions that cleanse and free us. So go on friends, and build Him a temple!"

My prayer is that we can all be challenged and reminded that our bodies are not our own. They are God's temple, in which He dwells. Let's avoid the consumption of spiritual and physical "junk" and strive to build our temples that fulfill God's purpose to serve and bless others!