Truth-Filled Temple Talk

As I sat waiting for my doctor to come in the room yesterday, I sucked my tummy in and thought “Yep – still carrying my baby boy on this tummy!” I was in for my annual physical and blaming my son for the extra inches. How silly of me! Back in my day we weren’t as prone to exercising after the baby’s birth as women are today. I see you slim, trim mamas who jump into the gym as soon as you get your doctor’s clearance “All systems GO!” Ours were something like: “You had a baby -- you deserve those extra inches with you!” But, for a lifetime??

A flashback of me before my baby boy filled my mind. I was so skinny that I was called “Bean Pole”. I took Weight-On tablets with the desire to catch up with the others my age who had "blossomed" much faster than I did. But, oh my -- everything changed with the birth of one innocent baby boy.

Over the years I struggled with a poor body image. Here I was, a Jesus-loving girl thinking those negative thoughts. The truth is, God saw and sees me very differently and even tells me who I am: His daughter, the apple of His eye, a pearl of great price. Here’s my wake-up moment: When we are poor-mouthing our bodies or the way we look, we are speaking disparagingly about “our temple”. The apostle Paul spoke intentionally when he used the word temple. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19. Just think of it – our bodies are temples that carry the very Spirit of God.

That’s mind-boggling. Truly, I pray for a filter that keeps me grateful for this skin I’m in. Paul knew temples -- there were plenty to compare to in Corinth with their domed ceilings, majestic columns, exquisite woodwork overlaid with gold and silver. (BTW, this photo is St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome that mildly compares, I'm sure, to those Corinth temples.) Wow! We are those temples of the Holy Spirit. That is true for you, me and Christ followers everywhere.

Whether we feel like a temple or not, it is still God’s truth to us. In Christ, when we ask for forgiveness, we become a clean, pure temple — no matter what impure, unimaginable things we’ve done. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and His mighty resurrection, we can obliterate the trash-filled thoughts from our past and redecorate our mind with God’s truth. So now I’m careful about my “temple” talk. No more “trash” talk or “smack” talk about this temple God gave me.

No matter the size, age or agility, our temples are sacred, good and holy and have infinite value. God is incredibly interested in what we do with them, and how we treasure them. It’s time we ask God to give us truth-filled temple talk.

Psalm 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Day 139 of Photo Inspirations -- Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
My granddaughter is a gifted TALKER.  She cracks me up.  There's never a dull moment with her.....and I love every minute of it!  She is so confident in who she is. Even though she's smaller than others her age, she still hangs with others who are much taller than her.  She knows she was created in God's image and she lives with that thought in mind.  She knows this scripture and lives it:  "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well."  Psalm 139:13

Since "competition" is not in her wheel house, last night, while the rest of us were playing a very competitive card game, she made a chocolate cake.  She's quite happy being who she is -- a creative, artistic, girly girl.  Back to the chocolate cake.   I took the first piece.  I didn't realize she'd made it for her brother's birthday.  Oops!  Thus, the orange in the vacant spot.  She said, "This is the ugliest cake I've ever made.  The is the prettiest cake I've ever made.  This is the worst cake I've ever made.  This is the best cake I've ever made.  This is the grossest cake I've ever made.  This is the tastiest cake I've ever made."  It was the FIRST and ONLY cake she's ever made.  "Such is life with Lexi"!  LOL!

There's a song out right now that I've really liked the tune to,  and it's been used a lot in reality talent shows.  But then I read the words and thought, "Whoever sings these words and believes them -- are in a personal identity crisis.  They are searching for their significance by another person."  These are the words:
"Say something, I'm giving up on you; I'll be the one, if you want me to,
Anywhere I would've followed you; Say something, I'm giving up on you.
And I am feeling so small; It was over my head;
I know nothing at all, and I will stumble & fall;
I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl;
Say something, I'm giving up on you; I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you;
Anywhere I would've followed you, say something, I'm giving up on you."

Bless his or her heart.  Clearly, whoever wrote that song was in a deep pit of despair that day.  They don't get that God, a friend closer than a brother, sister, mother, father or any other significant other, created them perfect and in His image -- He doesn't make mistakes and He never leaves us alone.  He sees them in the light of His image -- which makes them beautiful.  When we believe that we are valuable in God’s sight – we act like it.  We will assert ourselves and set boundaries so people will treat us with the dignity, a person made in God’s image deserves.

If we look for our identity in the approval of others and/or in our performance and role at school, work or at home, now is the time for us to transition from finding out who we are in what we do — to finding out who we are in Christ!  And when we do that, we KNOW that we KNOW, He has the perfect plan for our lives.....as well as the people He wants in our lives -- then we'll never say "I'm feeling small; I know nothing at all!"  We'll say, "I'm a prince or princess and I'm royalty.  I'm a daughter or son in the royal family of God".
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