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Temple Time
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Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? (1 Cor. 6:19, MSG)
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Most of us would think of a temple as a place, not a person. The Apostle Paul, however, thinks a bit differently. You are a temple! You contain within you a spark of the Divine, a gift of God's presence in the Holy Spirit. In Jewish thought (remember Paul was a "Pharisee's Pharisee," deeply immersed in his tradition) you do not have a body so much as you are a body. The idea that you could somehow separate spirit, mind, and body would run contrary to Paul's experience. Judaism can talk separately about the three as traits, but in the end, they all come together as a homogenous package.
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Paul is very concerned about purity and where we take the Spirit given that the Spirit goes where we go. Engaging in activities that God would approve of is a given. But something else is inferred in this passage. We are to offer our whole self as a sacrifice. Sacrifice here is not appeasement, but an invitation to mingle with the Holy. In the Bible, more often than not, sacrifice is bidding God to come -- like putting out the welcome mat.
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Give God the very best of what you have to offer in everything you do. To give your best, you have to be at your best. It is an invitation, and perhaps an admonition, to self-care. You cannot deploy the full potential of your gifts if your body is languishing. Sabbath rest, and yes, even eating well and exercising might be a part of your stewardship so that you are always at your best!
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For Focus and Reflection: What can I do today that affirms and respects the gift of my body?
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Prayer: Lord, help me to see that in taking care of me, I can better serve you. Amen.
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Community of Prayer Stewardship Devotional
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Copyright ©2016 by Bruce A. Barkhauer
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Permission to copy & email given by Center for Faith and Giving
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