To celebrate its 50th anniversary, ABC television network plowed through a mountain of video clips. Among those unearthed from their vaults were some scenes from the old "Laverne and Shirley" show. In one of these the character of Shirley contrasted herself with her roommate Laverne. According to Shirley, Laverne was content to live a lifestyle of feasting upon junk food, In stark contrast, Shirley proudly proclaimed that her body was a temple and no junk food was ever permitted to enter the temple! Viewing her body as a temple controlled her eating habits.
Although her comments were embedded within a situation comedy, nevertheless Shirley's words capture purpose and direction. Instead of living life with the directionless boundaries of following every urge or doing whatever felt right at the moment, imagine how the responsibility of caring for the sacred would guide a person's activity.
If you were entrusted with caring for a portable temple for the Creator, where would you take it? What TV programs, internet sites or movies would you choose to have aired before the temple? What would you say in its presence? Would you ever want to hide God's temple under some cloth so that your words or actions might be hidden from it? What would you do as a custodian and manager of God's temple?
I know that you are already ahead of me. But hang with me a moment longer as we turn to scripture. In writing about the seriousness of sexual immorality, Paul argued, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, and you are not your own? For you have been purchased with a price; glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Having been made to become a temple of the Holy Spirit should influence and control what we do with our bodies!
Similarly, when writing about the awesome responsibility involved in teaching God's people, Paul wrote to the congregation that, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? Whoever might destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy and that is what you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Since those who are God's people have been made to become the temple of God, God holds those accountable who would destroy God's people through teaching destructive ideas.
Of course God is everywhere, no temple can contain our God. Yet God has chosen for His people to become His dwelling in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22 This is a sobering as well as a humbling thought. How humbling it is to realize that God has entrusted us to care for His temple!
As a steward of God's dwelling where would you take it? How might an awareness of your body as the temple of God empower you to live for God and achieve His purposes through your life? How would God's people live if these thoughts soaked deeply into their awareness?
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2003
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