"YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN!"

1 Corinthians 6:19-20               (ESV)
"19 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",
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify GOD in your body."




The overwhelming majority of the devotionals I write are about changing MY life, for honestly, I am the only one I can change.  When GOD places something in front of my eyes more than twice, I get the message and start looking at what it is HE might be trying to get across to me?  This morning I have "exposed" to "your body is a temple" several times, so I decided to SEE what GOD would have my eyes opened to today?  The verses are highlighted in most versions of the Bible that I read, but that doesn't mean that GOD is through with correcting me with this scripture!

To understand that the HOLY SPIRIT lives inside of my body is not something that is new to me.  That concept was made clear to me a long time ago.  Formerly, I used to do somethings with my body that did not glorify GOD.  As a matter of fact, some of those things may have brought shame to a HOLY GOD!  Romans 14:23b says "........For whatever does not proceed from FAITH is sin."  The way I read scripture, if a Believers "operating system" is based on any other premise than GOD is the ruler of the universe, we stand a good chance of living in a sinful, rebellious state with our lives!  "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN" should make us think that we BELONG to someone else?

Then why do I try to do whatever it is that makes me happy???  My selfish desires of living in the finest houses and drive the biggest cars should never figure into the equation.  "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN" should mean that HOLY SPIRIT controls my life's actions and that I perpetually surrender to HIS leadership.  But self is cruel visitor in my Temple and I constantly have to remind myself that "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN", you were bought with a price!

Since my Temple is no longer my own,  I have a DUTY to keep it in good repair, not to fill it with junk!  How can I continually expect my body to operate efficiently carrying way too much weight?  How could I expect this Temple that houses the HOLY SPIRIT to be filled with tobacco smoke, or alcoholic beverages, or illicit drugs?  While it is true that our SPIRIT should be more important than our bodies to a Believer, the fact that "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN" should tell me that what "I WANT" should never come into play!

HEAVENLY FATHER, cause me to be constantly reminded that "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN" and this Temple has YOUR SPIRIT living in it!!!