"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Our bodies are a gift of the Creator
Being children of the Most High, we are gifted with so much in quantity but also beyond our imaginations, in the quality of the Craftsmanship.
Besides the Divine Inheritance described in Galatians 4, and that is no small thing, we get to play in a vessel that is carefully, intentionally and impressively made (1 Cor 12:18) to be able to feel, see, sense and experience this life and this realm.
We will never reach the end of that frontier, no matter how long, how deep and how hard we research, study and bio-hack. Not only is this marvel capable of so much more than we realize, and that we allow, but it is also built with an intelligence that is calibrated with health and harmony as its natural default setting.
It is programmed to move to equilibrium.
The body innately is self-regulating, self-sustaining and self-healing.
Imagine the marvel that is… Man strives to replicate this unattainable feat.
Our bodies are the container for the soul
To say the soul is precious is a grave understatement. It’s what makes us special and unique, and what some believe, separates us from the other sentient beings on Earth.
The body was designed to be a worthy vessel for the infinite possibilities of the soul. You wouldn’t place a Rembrandt in a Formica frame. By the sheer magnificence of its contents, the body had to be constructed in like kind.
Our bodies are the gauge that register infinite sensorial experiences
The body is what allows us to sensorily enjoy, feel and experience the world. People with malfunctioning sensorial capacity live a challenging and perilous life because without feeling pain, for example, and having that important feedback, they cannot navigate physical obstacles and dangers.
Pleasure, pain, heat, cold, sweet, tart, luscious sleepiness, invigoration, exertion, strength, challenge, relief, color, melody, whisper, kiss, a flowing stream, the perfect sunrise, a canine’s cuddle, emotional loss, a goose’s honk…and the endless other sensations we get to experience. They are all unfathomable gifts.
Imagine a life where you didn’t get to enjoy these feelings.
Think about scientists trying to build a robot equipped with just one of these aspects, the countless human expressions. An approximate is possible but a duplicate will never be accomplished.
Our bodies are the antenna that receives God
Innate in our physical design is the wiring by which we receive the "still quiet voice", the nudges of our conscience, and the whispers of the Holy Spirit. This is not just an intricate design of physical tracks and chemical pathways that works on excellently fine feedback systems but also an aspect that will never be explained and can only be accounted as the Divine within. This capability in our bodies can be learned, expanded upon and fine-tuned with intention, attention, care and consistency.
A call for stewardship…
When the body as a gift, the container, the gauge, the antenna that allows us to live this spiritual experience is stuck, overwhelmed, in pain, injured, in dis-harmony or dis-eased, we are distracted. All of these maladies keep us focused inward on our sufferings. As hard as we try and as faithful as we can be, this sets us in a natural and understandable posture of self-focus. You can serve, influence, add love, and give only so much because a portion of valuable energy and attention is pointed inward and focused on mediating the noise.
On the contrary, when the body is at ease, without blockage, bloating and inflammation; and you are pain-free, clean, clear, durable, hydrated, nimble, and biologically efficient, you are invigorated and the passions of your heart can be in their proper standing. You have energy for your goals and dreams. You can live your soul purpose. You can be focused outside self.
- Body care is spiritual care.
- Wellness practices are a ministry.
- Cherishing your temple is proper stewardship.
Our bodies are the vehicle that allow us to do God’s bidding.
You can be in-tune and attuned to the endless source of energy that is our Creator. When the care of your physical self is in place, the reach of your spiritual efforts will naturally and exponentially be magnified through this alignment.
There are a myriad of ways and possibilities to support and improve your precious body. In subsequent posts we will explore how to care for your body as your temple so that you can be a living prayer.
