Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Whose life are you living?

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I suppose if a biography were written about your life, you would be the main character in the story, right? I mean, according to most all biographies written before, that would make sense. After all, it is YOUR life, right? Or is it?

In one sense, yes. You are the one making the decisions in your life: what goals and ambitions to pursue, who to pay attention to, where to invest your time, energy and talents. You are the one who works hard and saves or spends money. Who else has a say in all this?

The bible has something to say about this matter:

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“You are not your own” is not a popular truth in a society that devalues all life not deemed ‘convenient’ or ‘desired.’ But it is the truth none the less. We can’t pick and choose the scripture we like. It all stands together, whether it is convenient for us or not.

A life surrendered to God belongs to God, wholly and holy, separated to Him. We are called to love the lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. It doesn’t leave much left for doing just what we want, does it? We find ourselves choosing either one side of the fence or another. At some point we come to realize there is no riding the fence.

Jeremiah 10:23 puts it this way: “I know O lord that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.”

When we ask Jesus to be the Lord and master of our life, we are surrendering our allegiance to Him alone. When we ask the Holy Spirit to direct our steps, we surrender our will to His, so that our paths may be made straight. We all know what happens when we try to direct our own lives!

But oh how subtle is the way of the mind and flesh, to slyly take over the reigns of decision-making, to try to steer the Spirit into going our way instead of the other way around. “Lord, take away this pain and suffering because you know I can serve you better when I am well.” “Lord bless me so others will see your favor on your faithful servant.” “Lord give me the desire of my heart, not yours, so that I can see your hand in my life.” Or even more subtle yet is to simply forget God’s presence in our lives except for brief interludes of prayer and worship.

Fullness in life is found when Christ lives fully in us.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Let His Story be the history of your life, beginning with today.

“I Own You!”

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My sister sent me an interesting article written by a person with Meniere’s Disease. The comment that grabbed my attention in the article was the author’s observation that her disability sometimes screams to her, “I own you!”

Have you ever felt that way? That something in your life, your health, your personal relationships, your job, your debt, perhaps a destructive self habit…something cries out to you, “I own you.” Marcia and I were tempted by this thought at the very beginning of our journey with Leukemia. Even now we are periodically attacked with this thought. The ongoing demands of the very real symptoms insist on being attended to. They will not be ignored and we cannot escape them. But do these challenging realities really OWN us? Just because thieves continue to survey your house, that is not the same as breaking in and stealing from you or taking you hostage. And certainly you don’t leave the house unprotected.

A servant cannot serve two masters. We cannot be owned simultaneously by peace and fear. In an earlier post we looked at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 which tells us “You are not your own. You were bought at a price.” (This may be an affront to those who think they can give part of their life to God and have the right to call all their own shots.) If you are a devoted follower of Jesus, your body (and mind) belongs to Him and His care. It is a temporary dwelling for an eternal and divine purpose. That is why we are able to persevere in faith through difficult trials (and you can too). We know to whom we belong. “We have this faith as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)

We are not owned by our troubles unless we willingly surrender to them. What is the antidote for this? Developing an attitude of gratitude, praising God, for who He is, for what He has done, what He will do, and what He is now doing on your behalf. I would be glad to be healed of Leukemia, and believe I will be one day. At the same time, I am thankful I do not carry a heavier cross. I am thankful I do not bear this alone. I am thankful for a loving God who never abandons me. Even for a sense of humor that sometimes gives me a break from becoming too serious.

When the devil tells you about your troubles, you tell him about your Great God! Your troubles, whatever they are, do not have to own you. Say it out loud. “You (name the affliction) do NOT own me.” Draw close to God and He WILL draw close to you. It’s a promise.

Strength

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This last three months of lack of appetite has worn me down. I don’t feel bad until I eat a few bites. After 3-4 hours of stomach upset I start to feel better until it’s time to eat a few more bites or a nutrition shake. Marcia is always looking for something that will settle. She bought me a Cliff Bar. It’s one of those survival energy bars packed with protein (and chocolate chips!). I thought it ironic that I just barely had the energy to open the “tear here” energy bar. 🙂

Do you ever find yourself grasping to “fix” a problem, especially when it is your broken body? Sometimes, there is no ‘fixing’ within our power. All we can do is rest (16-20 hours per day in my case). I think it helps to realize that this body is not mine to fix. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

The bible teaches us that we are primarily spiritual beings with a physical ‘tent’, not physical beings with a small spiritual component. We don’t own our bodies or have rights over them. How does realizing and accepting that truth change your view of life, especially suffering? Romans 12:1-2 pleads with us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. THEN we will understand His perfect will.

Offering money, time reading the bible, doing good…these are all fine. But it is when we offer our bodies, our very life to God that we start to engage in spiritual worship.