Is Your Body a Den of Thieves?
Today I'd like to borrow a post from one of my other blogs. (Is it really borrowing if it's my article from my blog? Hmm.) As I'm sure you've noticed, I've been on a bit of a kick lately about making some much-needed changes in my life. God has brought some things to my attention, and I know I won't be at peace until I get things right. A few weeks ago, I posted the following on my healthy living blog, Satisfying the Spirit, and today I felt led to share it with you. Maybe someone out there needs to read this, or maybe I just needed the reminder. Either way, be prepared, for what I have to say is quite convicting.
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of theehereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come toJerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out themthat sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of themoneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would notsuffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And hetaught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called ofall nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. -Mark 11:14-17
Never in the Bible do we see Jesus as angry as He is at this defilementof the temple. Not when people scorned Him. Not when the Phariseestried to kill Him. Not when His disciples doubted Him. Not even at thecross. This picture of Jesus is unlike anything else we see aboutJesus in the Bible. The situation in the temple angered Jesus to thepoint that He overturned tables and according to another account in theBible, He even fashioned a whip and chased the moneychangers out of thetemple. So why was He so upset? What was the big deal? He answers thatquestion clearly in verse 17 of the passage above: Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. These men had turned God's house into a money-making scheme. They haddefiled the temple with their wicked ways and mocked God in theprocess. The temple was supposed to be a sacred place, a holy place. Jesus did not take kindly to their mistreatment of His Father's house.
The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that our bodies are the templesof the Holy Ghost. They were intended to be vessels of honor. Theywere intended for God's use. So how do you think He feels about ourtreating our bodies (His temple) like garbage cans? Just like thepassage above, we have turned God's temple into a den of thieves. Weallow thieves in the forms of processed foods, sugars and caffeine torob us of energy, vitality and health. We consume things we know to bebad because we want them or enjoy them. Then we wonder why we neverfeel good, are always tired and suffer from a growing number ofailments.
We have control over what goes into our bodies even though these bodiesdon't belong to us. We are not our own. We are borrowing thesebodies. They belong to God. Do you think He's pleased with the carewe've been giving them? Or do you think He is angered by our lack ofself-control and concern for His temple? We are poisoningourselves--killing our bodies slowly. We are defiling God's temple, andthe worst part of all is that we don't seem to care. We laugh aboutthe extra weight we're carrying around or cry about how bad we feel, butuntil we care enough to do something about it, nothing will change.
I don't know about you, but I'm ashamed of the state of my body. I'venot taken care of it the way I know I should. I've given in to thepleasures of food and the delight of comfort over exercise, and in theprocess, I've allowed my health to deteriorate. Now, more than ever, Iwant to serve God, but because of the neglect of my health, I am nowlimited by it. And until I get things under control, I will never beable to serve God the way He intends for me to.
The journey ahead is long, and the road is rough, but I've resolved tostop defiling God's temple. And beyond that, I've begun a rebuildingprogram that consists of a healthy diet and proper exercise. I don'twant God to be angry with me. I don't want to be ashamed when I standbefore Him and have nothing to offer but excuses. I want to serve withmy full potential, and I can't do that in this state. It's time for achange! Who's with me?