Keeping it Together

OK, so I have to admit I totally just deleted 3 paragraphs of this blog and started over.  Thankfully, I stopped and read the footnotes of my Study Bible before finishing this post.

I just read through 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 where Paul speaks to the Corinthians about God's temple.  I jumped the gun and assumed that he was speaking singularly to each person and his body.  Nope, evidently here, Paul is speaking of the church body as God's temple since he refers to them as 'you yourselves".   Good to know.

Once again, Paul is conveying the message to the Corinthians (and God to us) that as a church body, we need to take care of ourselves.  That means meeting for a unified reason of spreading the Good News.  If this unity is broken, thus destroying the temple, God deals out some serious consequences. 

He takes where He resides pretty seriously.  Thus, as a part of the church, I need to as well.  It is not just important that we all get along to spread the message, but we must live the message as well.  As a body of Christ we must live the truth so as to not destroy the message we are trying to share. 

Challenging?  Yes.  It is so easy to slip into those little groups that take away from our basic virtues and let those virtues slide just so we can fit in.  But each time we slide, a piece of God's temple as been chipped away, bringing us closer to complete destruction.

So, even though we are but one member, we represent the big picture.  People know where you go to church.  Hopefully, they know you are a believer.  Hopefully, they can tag the way you live your life as a little bit different.  But what does it say to them when you usually live your life for Christ, but let it slide every once in a while just to fit in?  Or worse yet, what if they have missed the fact that you are a Christian altogether?

Father, help me preserve your temple.  Help me live your message every day no matter what the situation.  As a member of the Body of Christ, where your Holy Spirit resides, I need to hold that temple high and not let life chip away.  Give me the strength to know when I am weak and help me preserve unity in any situation involving your temple.  Thank you for entrusting me with such responsibility and help me not take it lightly.