19Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Don’t you know that you have the Holy Spirit from God, and you don’t belong to yourselves? 20You have been bought and paid for, so honor God with your body.
Reflection
As a young’in I was a bit of a daredevil and a bit of a tomboy. I enjoyed climbing trees, taking the black diamond ski trails, taking jumps on my bike, driving a bit too fast, and doing donuts in a snowy parking lot as a teenager. Field hockey, paintball, rock climbing, and white water rafting are included in my repertoire of hobbies that I love but haven’t prioritized in a decade.
I’m lucky I only suffered one broken bone and one totaled car in all that time.
Lucky … but also my parents insisted on things like seat belts, helmets, knee pads, goggles, and life jackets. I used to fight them hard on these things. I didn’t understand that I was precious cargo and an investment. My parents invested a lot of time, money, and love into my existence and they weren’t going to let my potential be cut short by not protecting myself. I’m sure God is appreciative of the efforts my parents put in because on top of that I definitely used a few miracles to stay out of more trouble and pain.
These days I better understand the “body is a temple” bit, because mine is the temple that grew two beautiful daughters. My future is still unknown to me; their futures are still unknown to me. All I know is that if I continue to protect God’s investment, by wearing my helmet, eating my veggies, and going out for walks or playing with my girls, and if I teach my daughters to do the same, I will get to see our investments grow into something amazing.
by Ashley Bowler
For Pondering and Prayer
How can you continue to protect your temple? Some easy ways? Some more challenging ways?
What are some investments you’ve made that you would like to see grow into something amazing?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for seeing our value even when we don’t. Thank you for giving us simple ways of protecting ourselves, like seatbelts or helmets. Guide us as we can sometimes struggle through more challenging ways of protecting your investment. Hold us so we know, even when we mess up, even when we feel unworthy of anything … that we are worthy of Your love. Amen.