"Fast"

I remember childhood energy,

No one could keep up with me,

Whether running cows or sports, you see,

I hustled all the way.

And well into my adult years,

It seemed I could outrun my fears,

Too much hurry to shed tears,

But I was not okay.

Deep down I knew just what was wrong,

I knew that to God I belong,

But didn’t want to sing that song,

I kept on running fast.

Sometimes you have to hit a wall,

And that is when you hear His call,

How much farther must you fall,

Your chaos is forecast.

So finally I turned to Him,

Carefully out on that limb,

And knew it’s time to sink or swim,

To God surrendered all.

My body now His temple sure,

And though I’m weak I can endure,

Energized to live life pure,

I didn’t miss His call.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (! Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)

What does this mean exactly? It means that our bodies were created to be God’s habitat. The Holy Spirit, who has always been with us, comes to live inside us when we give our lives to Jesus. That’s what it means to be born of the Spirit. But then the Holy Spirit wants to fill and empower us to live according to God’s will. For this to happen we must surrender our bodies to God habitually, recognizing His ownership. Honoring God with our bodies is our highest calling.

Lord, help us honor you with our bodies, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.