“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself” – 1 Cor 6:19 (NIV).
Almost all of us know when something is yours and of value you take good care of it. Among cattle keepers one of their most precious possessions is of course a cow and given maximum attention. There are art collectors in the world who pay prime prices to acquire art works that they keep in safe custody because they know they will appreciate in value. A local Luganda saying goes, “Ekye’beeyi kya’ beeyi!” Loosely translated, “what is of value is of value!”
Now one of the most valued object anyone can think of is our bodies. Of course the importance of any body is quickly grasped when any falls sick. Most of us will go at great lengths to treat our bodies back to full health.
It is in this regard that anyone of us does well to look after his body well. It is lack of good stewardship when something that has been given to you and of value you treat it so carelessly. “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
Unfortunately, we tend to exhibit the contrary. This we see, when among others, we deny our bodies of the right nutrition or at the very opposite, feed ourselves carelessly all manner of excess, like addictive drugs and intoxicating beverages, which ultimately ruin our health. When one fails to exercise his body it is starved of the power to remain vital. Failing to practice good hygiene by living shabbily invites in all manner of disease. In brief we are being bad stewards.
To treat our bodies right is to honor God. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). When we treat our bodies right then we glorify the God who created us. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of creation, you have given me a beautiful body, which is your image, and so I pray to give it proper care, watching what I eat, exercise regularly, practice good hygiene, take proper rest, to live joyfully in abundant health and be all the more effective in serving you, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
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06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
