"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Have you ever known any Christians whose “walk” didn’t match their “talk”? One who had all the biblical answers to every situation or could debate deep theological issues with the greatest of ease, but whose behavior or attitudes didn’t line up with what God’s Word plainly teaches? Maybe they preach flowery sermons on I Corinthians 13, but then go home and display no love toward their families. I have known a few people like that in my lifetime, and if I were being honest, would have to confess that I have had my own share of moments like that.
I think it’s really tempting for us Christians to be satisfied with reading our Bibles and attending church regularly, all the while living a life disconnected from the Word. We emphasize honoring God with our lips, and we may even think we are honoring Him with our hearts. But if our body is not surrendered to His will, we aren’t honoring Him at all. Romans 12:1-2 speaks to the same notion: “present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
If you know me personally—or if you’ve read any number of these articles, you know that when I study God’s Word, I always like to ask how I can apply what I’ve learned to my own life. So let’s think about some ways that we can glorify God, not just in our hearts, but with all of our bodies as well.
Eyes - Psalm 101:3 says, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless…” This can be a difficult prospect in today’s world, where television commercials or halftime shows at sporting events are often filled with inappropriate innuendo and worse. Video games are full of violence and promiscuity, and even trips to the mall must be approached with caution if you have small children in tow. We can’t help the world in which we live, but the word “set” in this verse reminds us that we can make choices about much of what we see. So what are you choosing to set before your eyes? Is it worthless? Or is it wholesome and uplifting?
Ears - God’s word is replete with admonitions to listen: listen to advice, to instruction, and to God’s voice. He promises that if we listen, we will be wise and blessed; and if we don’t, we are compared to a fool and a scoffer. How do we listen for good things? Sometimes it is with our physical ears—the music we choose to listen to, or the preaching of God’s Word. Often, though, the term “listen” has as much to do with our hearts as with our ears. When we hear godly advice or instruction, do we receive it with an attitude of humility and acceptance? If we do, we will be blessed.
Mouth - I don’t believe this one needs much commentary. Again, David says in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” And Jesus told us that “out of the abundance of the heart [a man's] mouth speaks.” When we fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word, our mouths will speak blessing and truth.
Hands - The books of Psalms and Proverbs give us a number God-honoring ways to use our hands: in praise to God (Psalm 63:4), in generosity to the poor (Prov. 31:20), and in hard work (Prov. 12:14). Proverbs 12:14 also tells us that there is blessing in store for those who work diligently with their hands: “…the work of a man's hand comes back to him.”
Feet - Frankly, I don’t care much for feet. They get stinky when you wear shoes and dirty when you don’t. No matter how much we women paint our toenails and squeeze our feet into ridiculously tight and uncomfortable shoes, they’re just not very pretty! But in Romans 10:15, Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah and says, “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” Well, when you put it that way, Paul is right! What is more beautiful than the gospel of Jesus Christ—that the Creator of the universe would come down from His heaven to save a wretched sinner like me!? How can we keep that kind of news to ourselves? Are our feet running to share God’s good news with the lost around us?
My dear brothers and sisters, when Christ redeemed you, He didn’t just redeem your soul and spirit from hell. He redeemed your body from the curse of sin and death. While we will not see the final redemption until Jesus returns, we are to present our bodies to Him out of a grateful heart, and to use every part of them in His services and for His glory. May He find us faithful to do that very thing until He brings us home!
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture used in "Joy in the Morning" is taken from the English Standard Version.
