My Body a Holy Temple?

Maybelle Crabtree here. My body a temple for the Holy Spirit? My body a shrine or sacred place to glorify God? Glorify God by honoring and praising Him in thoughts, words, and actions with my body? You’ve got to be kidding. But, it’s true. Says it right there in the Bible; in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 19 and 20. The apostle Paul writes, “You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. God paid a very high price to make you His. So honor God with your body.” (ERV)

Never really thought about what these verses meant. So I research. Found out most commentators agree these verses are about sexual immorality. But there’s more. Now I’m not a Biblical scholar but Paul’s not just talking about what we do with the outside of our bodies. He’s also talking about the inside too. What we think. What we say. And how we treat our bodies, both inside and out which includes what we eat.

I admit, I’m no better than anyone else. My thoughts aren’t always pure. My mouth gets me in trouble sometimes. And more often than not, I eat dessert first. I’m still working on my thoughts and words but a few years ago, thanks to menopause, my eating habits changed.

My doctor prescribed hormone pills. I took another route. No offense to anyone who took that road but it’s just not the journey for me. I figure menopause is a very natural occurrence in a woman’s life. It’s right up there with childbirth. Since I delivered our children three times naturally – i. e. no drugs – I figured menopause couldn’t be any worse. Here’s what I did.

Steps to a Holy Body Temple

First, I researched. Found out everything I could about menopause and natural remedies. Many articles stated food choices played a big part in the severity of menopause symptoms on a woman. The more healthy a woman ate, the less severe the effects were. Guess what I did? That’s right. I changed our diet, much to the chagrin of my family. It wasn’t a diet as in a special plan or a restriction of the amount of food eaten. Instead, it was the type of food eaten. More natural and whole and less processed and boxed. It was food grown in the ground and not manufactured in a factory.

Next, I joined a gym and actually worked out there three times a week. Tom and I strolled the sidewalks around our neighborhood on summer evenings. And family trips included more national and state parks where we could all hike together and enjoy the fresh air and outdoors.

Another change was getting plenty of sleep and/or rest. I still don’t get eight hours at night but seven hours has been an achievable goal for me. I listen to my body more and if I’m tired during the day I lay down and rest. No more embarrassment about taking naps at my age.

Also, I gave up soda and sweet drinks like lemonade. Water and tea are a mainstay in my life now. Although I do have some kind of alcoholic beverage on special occasions. You have to splurge every once in a while.

Extra Bible Studying

Finally, I did some extra studying of the Bible. Here’s what I found. In Genesis 1:26, God, Himself, proclaims that we are made in His likeness. Later on in Genesis – chapter 9, verses 5 and 6 to be exact – He reminds Noah that man (people) was made in the image of God. Another reminder that man (people) was made in God’s image can be found in James 3:9.

Furthermore, Paul states in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 the following: “You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. If you destroy God’s temple, God will destroy you, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.” (ERV)

I sure don’t want to be destroyed by God so I began honoring my body with the respect and dignity it deserved. Along with my newfound knowledge and care for my body, changes occurred. I lost that extra 30 pounds of baby fat, the muffin top disappeared, and my curves returned. Oh, I didn’t have an hour-glass figure but I could once again wear clingy dresses and tops with confidence instead of embarrassment. Best of all, the symptoms of menopause were few and far between. I am convinced it’s all due to finally treating my body as the temple it was meant to be.

Holy Body Temple Crumbling

However, this past year was a different story. My life fell apart when Tom died. My motivation was gone. I barely exercised. I laid in bed or on the couch just wanting the world to go away and leave me alone. Way too many cookies, chocolate, ice cream, and other comfort food passed my lips.

As a result, I have gained weight back. Not as much as I lost originally, but I’m a few pounds heavier. Along with the weight came the muffin top again. It’s not back to square one but maybe square five. I have my work cut out for me.

My motivation isn’t 100 percent yet but I am more mindful of what I’m putting in my mouth. Likewise, I’m slowly getting into an exercise routine here at home. It’s not much now but it’s a start.

On the whole, I’m doing the best I can. I know God understands and He will help me to achieve the body that will serve His purposes on earth. Beside, I’m the only parent my kids have now. I have to stay as healthy as possible so that I am around for them as long as possible. For too long I took my body for granted and didn’t much love it. Now I’m learning to love my body and view it as a gift, like everything else in my life, from up above.

What do you think? Leave me a message down below and let’s discuss. Maybelle Crabtree signing off.