temple of grace
1 Corinthians 6:19&20
// 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, you were bought at a price therefore honor God with your bodies. //
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This past week I have been completely attacked by the enemy and have believed that my worth comes from my outward appearance and performance. I have looked around at so many others and seen their attributes and gladly pushed my own to the side. These are weeks that I am not proud of but would not trade for anything - weeks I learn so much about the Fathers love for us and grace in the midst of our dishonor. I want to encourage you in this post to live in your temple of grace with great expectation and embrace every inch of it with all you've got.
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Fear became reality // Before coming to college two years ago (wow!), I had always heard of 'freshman 15' and feared it more than anything. Seriously y'all; more than the classes, more than missing my mama and not having my dog, more than making new friends - freshman 15 was my biggest fear. Leaving high school, my body was still frail and recovering from the past four years of anorexia. 15 pounds of any kind is what my body needed most. Over time, I slowly began to pursue healthier habits and the weight did come, but so did life and freedom. But that is not really what this post is about - it is about so much more than a number. Through this season of getting back to a healthy weight and learning to accept it, the Lord has taught me so much about finding life in Him and nothing else.
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Earlier this week I shared with Luke how the Enemy had been so persistent here lately in tearing down my body image, but how the Lord has pressed in even harder and shown me something neat. I shared with Luke how that day in particular, I had not felt pretty at all, and that somehow each time I looked into the mirror, I didn't feel disgust because even though I did not like what I saw, I saw a bigger picture than the one reflected in front of me.
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The Bible talks a lot about our bodies, and while I am no theologian, I can just about assure you that none of these scriptures were talking about having a flat stomach, big booty, or perfectly straight/white smile. The verses do specifically talk about things like presenting our bodies as a sacrifice as spiritual worship (Romans 12:1-2), to use our bodies for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), to not put physical strength over holiness because the second lasts in both this life and the next (1 Timothy 4:8), to keep our bodies full of light rather than darkness (Matthew 6:22), and that we are all a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).
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Please do tell me how a good looking summer bod will get me into heaven. Please tell me how worrying about my appearance will help me grow closer to God. Please tell me how staying on top of all the trends will help me grow the Kingdom of God. That is right girl, it won't. All those things may be great for this life, but you can't take it with you and because of that, we need to leave those things behind TODAY. Let's stop living in the imaginary world of our dream body and dance in this temple of grace we are already given. Be brave enough to stand against society and use your body for what it was made for - serving the King. Seriously friend, I was given this body to fulfill a mission and when I am so focused on myself and the way I appear to others, I miss the entire game plan. I don't want to live another moment in fear of what impression I will make, have anxiety about choosing what to eat at my next meal, or never feeling adequate enough to keep up. I want to live in the freedom that Jesus hung on the cross and died for and I want you to as well. Pray with me that the Lord will tear down these walls of fear and that society will hold us captive no more. The human body is one of the coolest machines to ever exist and each of us has a custom one meant to do something awesome. Whether you use your hands to heal the broken, mouth to encourage the weary, or feet to serve the needy, use your temple to it's fullest.
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Let me be the first to tell you, I am not any kind of expert in self-love, but each day the Lord seems to give me more insight on the things that truly matter. I still scrutinize my every curve but I am beginning to see how one day, those curves may be able to carry a sweet baby, work hard at a job that gives me joy, or love the people around me with everything in me. These are the things that matter girls - not thigh gaps, perfect hair, or the latest trends. One of my favorite songs says it so well;
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my eyes are open
my heart is beating
my lungs are full
and my body's breathing.
i'm moving forward
i found my freedom.
i found the life that gives me reason to live.
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One thing that will lead you to joy every time is to cling to the truth. The best thing about God's word is that it is truer than anything you have ever heard on this frail and unstable earth, and it never changes. We are silly to chase other things so let's just not anymore, okay? Go take a spin of freedom in your temple of grace and enjoy what God has planned for it.
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grace and peace.
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