The Temple is in Ruin

SCRIPTURE: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19  

What ailments do you have? Are you suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, glaucoma, arthritis, low energy, etc? Has your body seemingly betrayed you? As we age, the body naturally begins to break down but are we speeding up the process? Is your temple in ruin? As we go through life trying to be more like Christ, trying to act like Him, think like Him, and look like Him have you considered His lifestyle? He walked (exercise) and ate well. The Bible gives us instruction in all things and God has given us everything we need to live life and to live life abundantly. John 10:10 says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but Christ has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Could food be a type of thief? Could we be the culprit of stifling our abundant life?

Personally, I’m amazed at those people older than me out walking and running and looking good. What are they doing that I’m not doing? Did they find the proverbial fountain of youth and took a dip? God wants us to be healthy. God wants us to live an abundant life. How can we serve Him well with a broken body? I suggest we serve Him despite our infirmities but in sickness or pain we cannot give 100%. When your joints ache, or your energy is low, or your stomach is uneasy, or your head is throbbing you are not at your best. And instead of treating your ailments with God’s food you grab a Motrin, a cup of coffee or tea, maybe a danish or donut and with your caffeine and/or sugar shot you press on for, “the Lord’s sake”.

Here we must be careful because pride can creep in and you may start making your service about you and not the Lord.  “Yes, chile, I did my ministry, but I was in pain”. That’s not about God that’s about you. Is your temple in ruin? Have you forgotten that all things are good, but not all things are good for you? I heard a health coach say that God’s food is undefeated and that we should not be eating these lab experiments that many of us love. My dad used to say, “You can’t replace water with anything. It gives your body all it needs”. I didn’t listen.

What are you putting in your temple? Have you let food become your God? God said have no other gods before Me. That includes food. I am addicted to sugar. How do I know? I know because I have compulsive use, difficulty but the desire to cut back, and continued use despite negative consequences. Do you replace God’s food with subpar imitations for quickness and ease? Is it difficult for you to say no to that Mocha latte, that 2nd donut?  For me it’s that triple mix. Your body is the temple of God, and we can aid in the destruction of the temple by what we put in it.
 
PRAYER: Lord, forgive us for defacing Your temple. Lord, help us to fight the demon of addiction that is destroying Your temple and causing us pain and discomfort. Lord, take charge of our thoughts and remind us that greater He that is in us than he who is in the world. Remind us Lord, that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us and that includes eating right. Remind us Lord that a disciplined life isn’t just in what we say but also in how we eat. Teach us true moderation so that Your temple, our bodies can be used for Your glory. Thank you for keeping us through ailments and issues, even the ones we caused, but help us reverse those ailments that can be reversed by eating the foods You gave us. Teach us Lord, even in this area how to live godly. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
By Sis. Patricia Towns