Good afternoon! Glad to be with you, together on Tuesday!
Yesterday we highlighted this week’s emphasis for our series, ‘New Normal’. Our focus will be on fitness – physical fitness. We noted how physical fitness and fitness in faith go together. We decided on I Corinthians 6:19-20 as our theme verse to spotlight this connection.
On Tuesdays we look at the structure of our text. What are key thoughts, building blocks, of this Scripture? How are they organized? How do they work together to advance the message?
Like much of the Apostle Paul’s writings, this text is ‘dense’. There is so much packed into just two verses! As we begin to examine this Scripture you’ll see how each phrase provides a thought provoking avenue for reflection.
In verse 19 alone there are at least four distinct thoughts.
1. He opens with an ‘attention getter’, ‘Do you not know…’ It’s an invitation into an awakening, an awareness that the Apostle is about to introduce.
2. ‘Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit’. This is a statement about the sacredness of your body. It’s not our souls alone that are sacred to God.
3. Your body is a gift. The body you have is ‘from God’. As with any gift are you enjoying it? How are you using it?
4. Your body is a trust – ‘it is not our own’. How you treat your body is a matter of stewardship.
Verse 20 continues with two more insights.
5. Your body is so worthy of your care. It is invaluable. ‘You were bought with a price’. The cost of redeeming us (all of us – our body, mind, soul and strength) was the Cross of Christ.
6. The Apostle closes with a summary. ‘Therefore, glorify God with your body.’
There are lots of ideas in a short space. They provide plenty of opportunity for reflection and meditation.
As we think about each of these insights they deepen our appreciation of our bodies. More than that, as you put all these thoughts together, as a collective witness they provide a powerful call into ‘training in godliness’ (our theme verse for our series from I Timothy 4:7).
As you look at the Scripture what do you see? What ideas stand out for you? Are there ways the ideas ‘flow’ or ‘build on each other’? Write down your insights!
As you begin to move towards tomorrow how do these reflections about our bodies contrast with current cultural thinking? How does the ‘body image’ proclaimed in this Scripture inform and maybe even transform your current thinking about your body? Jot down your thoughts!
In a society that is so ‘body conscious’ this Scripture has a relevant message for us to hear. I’m glad to be listening with you as we walk through this week and move into our ‘New Normal’ together.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the gift of today and the blessing of our bodies. Let me be grateful for everyday when I enjoy good health. Let me be prayerful in those times when I need your healing mercies. Let me treat my body as your trust in ways that I would grow in faith through fitness training in godliness. In your strong name I pray.