Are You Guilty of Vandalizing God’s Property?

How many of us are guilty of vandalizing God’s property? To be clear, I’m not talking about painting graffiti on the side of a church building under cover of darkness. Before this morning’s devotional time, I never saw myself as a vandal. But now, I cannot unsee my guilt. Vandalism is the act of damaging property that belongs to someone else. I am not my own. We are not our own. We were bought at a price. And when we defile the bodies we live in, we are guilty of vandalizing God’s property. 

“You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.” ‭‭

1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭MSG‬‬

 My eyes are open to the damage I’ve done. Some of it’s been intentional, while some of it was mindless. Too much sugar, not enough sleep, whatever the method, the result remains the same; I’ve caused damage to a temple that does not belong to me. 

In this first month of this new year, we have an opportunity to cleanse our temples, make changes in our mindset, and rededicate our bodies to His service. There are seven sacred ways we can repair and maintain the temples we live in. 

Seven Sacred Ways To Repair Our Temple

• Connect with God: Connecting with God is more than going through the motions of daily quiet time. It’s an intentional act of listening for His voice, practicing His presence, and following His plan for the day.
• Breathe Mindfully: Breathing is how we stay alive. Breathing mindfully is how we stay alive in the Spirit. We breathe with the awareness that each breath is a gift from Him. 
• Choose Movement: Choosing movement means that we exercise our bodies in some form. Walking, resistance training, cardio, whatever form we choose. Our temples need 150 minutes a week of movement for optimum health. 
• Drink Water: We’ve all heard this one before. Every system of our bodies and our brain needs water to function correctly. But, until we experience the devastation of dehydration, we may not value the simple act of drinking water.
• Prioritize Sleep: We cannot underestimate the value of sleep. Without sleep, the brain cannot function properly. Sleep helps reduce stress and improve our mood. Sleep can help with maintaining or losing weight. And sleep can also help support a healthy immune system.
• Eat for Nourishment: Eating for nourishment and not for entertainment helps support our muscles, boosts immunity, and aids in digestion. It can strengthen our bones and even help us live longer. Healthy food choices can help lower our risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
• Enjoy the Sunlight: did you know that spending time in the sunlight can help improve sleep? It aids our ability to focus and can boost our body’s vitamin D supply. It reduces stress, helps fight off depression, and brings about feelings of calm.

Living Sacrifices

As I focus on practicing these seven sacred ways of repairing God’s temple, I invite you to join me. We can fast, pray, listen to God’s direction about how best to care for the temple He has assigned to us. May it be our joy to serve in the temple, as we worship Him with our bodies, as living sacrifices.

Let’s Reflect: Which of the seven sacred ways is your area of struggle? Focus on one at a time. Ask God to guide your way.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, I give myself away to You. I desire to serve You with all of who I am. Help me to honor the temple that You’ve assigned to me. May I find joy in the process of restoring and repairing the sacred vessel where Your Spirit makes His home. In Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.