Sacred

The Epistle for this past Sunday, January 14, was from First Corinthians.  The section read included this verse:  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own (6:19)?

That verse gave me pause.  A temple is sacred.  This verse tells me I am sacred, and the Holy Spirit resides in me.

I continued my reflection.  A temple is to be well taken care of.  The God we believe in, worship, follow is a Triune God, and He made us Triune beings—physical, mental and spiritual.  If I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, in order to take good care of this temple, I need to take care of myself in these three areas.  For today, I’ll just reflect on the physical aspect of myself.

The medical industry tells me I need to rest properly, avoid dangerous situations, exercise and provide my body with proper nourishment.  That’s the way God made me—I need food in order for my body to function properly.  But nowhere in the New Testament did He tell me any foods are forbidden (yes, food rules were given to the Israelites).  He did place within me an appestat, which lets me know when I am hungry and when I am full just as the gas gauge in my car tells me when to fill the tank and when I don’t need to.

I love Scripture, for it contains guidelines for living, and it tells me that going beyond full is not good for me.  The medical industry agrees.  Too much going beyond full can cause obesity; medicine has published a long list of diseases/illnesses to which obesity can contribute.  Sometimes it’s hard not to overeat; what I am eating may be delicious, or I may have been too hungry when I began to eat and consequently overeat.

Jesus was fully divine and fully human.  I seriously doubt He ever overate, but He experienced all human feelings, so He understands when I goof up and overeat.  He just loves me and is right beside me to pick me up and help me get back on track to take loving care of this Temple God created and perhaps listen better to my appestat the next time I eat.

                                                                                                                        Sharon Witty

New Year, New Grace

The new year gives us a fresh, empty page on which to write our story. That’s why so many people enroll in exercise classes, buy memberships to gyms, and start new diets in January. They are filled with fresh goals and hope.

But, here I am on January 4 and I’ve done none of the good things above. I feel tired and fat and unhappy.

Last time in Sharing Glory Sharon encouraged us to be the best ‘me’ I can be. I am failing.

So I bow down in humility and remember that God loves me, even when my eating behavior must make Him shake His head. He loves me anyway, just as I am. When I really think about that, I’m amazed. Then I’m saddened by my weak nature, my lack of control and resistance.

And I pray, “Lord, Help me change. Show me how to conquer this addiction to food. Guide me to a better pathway where I can find success in this area of my life in 2018 and beyond. Amen.”

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word,” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV).

We can do this - with God’s grace!

Gloria D. Stewart