Not body, but soul

Of course people idolise their body. What else do they have today? If we do not have a soul and deny eternity, we have only one life left in this body. In order to live, you have to make the most of your body and use it. Therefore, outward appearance is paramount. Teenagers bare their skin, and sleeves and shirts are getting shorter to show the real me. The shape of the body needs to be visible and the hairdo enticing. Not only girls, but young men are also focused on their physical appearance. It is amazing how many want to lose weight, not for health reasons, but only to look good. We glorify the body, more than ever before. But what are we created for? Do we realise that we have a body as a sacrifice unto God? Do we not need to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God? That is what we read in Romans 12: 1. The Apostle Paul does not even mention our souls in that text! Let it not bother us too much if we are not that pretty or handsome, and let us not be so proud if we are good-Iooking. We are more than just a body. Who has made you and for what purpose? We have a soul as well, we are travelling to eternity, and we must die.

Sport
In sports it is not just all about the money and honour, but it is also about the prominence of the body. Bodies are almost divine and it is amazing what people can do with their bodies! With training you can become faster, stronger, more precise, and develop stamina. It is really incredible what some are able to do, but is it not going too far? Of course we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but our eyes need to be opened. It happens too often that young people will do anything to be in top condition, yet they treat their souls with neglect. I think that many people hate becoming older. Many want to look younger than they are. Hair is cut according to the latest fashion and many dress like teenagers. Subconsciously, I suppose, they make it clear that they want to be on earth forever. Have you ever read Isaiah 3? The daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet (verse 16).

Extreme
As I have said befare, the body is also neglected, simply because people consider that they are nothing more than a body. If we believe that we have no soul and that there is no God, we will do whatever we want. I think especially of drugs, tattoos, euthanasia, and extreme sports. Today people take more risks, and no wonder. If we ignore our soul and eternity, death does not mean much. If God does not bring sin into account, we can go forward, but what a mistake that is. We learn from God’s Word that our whole spirit and soul and body (must) be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5: 23). Would we have piercings all over our bodies if we believed this? We should not divinise our bodies, but if it is well, our bodies should be temples of the Holy Ghost. Our bodies are meant for the Lord and the Lord for our bodies, as we read in 1 Corinthians 6. God created our bodies for a purpose and as jewels of the earth.

High price
The purpose was that the Holy Ghost would dwell in us and we would be temples of the Holy Ghost. The Lord wanted to dwell on earth, and not only send His Son in the flesh, but also to dwell in the bodies of His children. Therefore, the bodies of God’s children are the members of Christ (1 Corinthians 6: 15). We need to be aware that all of our members have been given for a reason and we may not use our body parts for just any purpose. Our eyes, ears, hands, feet, and other body parts belong to God, especially the bodies of God’s children, because they have been bought with a high price!

Fantastic
Nevertheless it is true that we all belong to our Creator. We may not look at everything we want to. Our hands may not touch, hold, and steal whatever we desire. Our feet may not just go anywhere, and we may not say whatever we want. Where is the awareness that our bodies are not ours? We don’t need to look fantastic and we don’t need all the attention. May the Lord give us a humble spirit and open our eyes to another reality. We live in an ungodly culture and have evil hearts. May the Lord open our eyes, break our hearts, and make us hungry for the living God.


Appeared in Insight into.

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