Our Bodies Belong to God

I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren’t good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I’ll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on me that I can’t easily stop when I want to. For instance, take the matter of eating. God has given us an appetite for food and stomachs to digest it. But that doesn’t mean we should eat more than we need. Don’t think of eating as important because someday God will do away with both stomachs and food. Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it. 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20 Living Bible (TLB) If we're a part of that group of folk who cannot get rid of that belly fat, be of good cheer! God's Word clearly states that we won't have that to worry about on the other side! That is probably because God promises to perfect those who follow His Son, Jesus, to dwell forever in His Kingdom. Those finishing touches will continue throughout our earthly lives. For now, we remain imperfect with souls housed in bodies of varying degrees of health and wellness. However, these bodies were created by God and as good stewards of God's gift of life, we must take care of them. When we give our lives and hearts to Christ, we also pledge to allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and clean us up inside. We literally give the body God gave us back to Him to piece together those things life has chipped or broken away from the masterpiece He created us to be. Jesus paid the cost for us to be returned to our Rightful Owner. He asks that we give God glory and trust Him to make us new. Better than before. That is love. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can keep our temples clean. Especially that area around our hearts that sometimes get a little crusty and hard. Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:10-11 TLB