June 2005 Devotion
Monthly Devotion - June 2005

More than Appearances
Putting the body in perspective
Adapted from the upcoming book
"Unfading Beauty...Beautiful in God's Eyes"

Do you have the right perspective regarding the purpose of your body?  So often, I believe we
forget what the body was designed for.  Truthfully, the body is really no more than a vehicle to
get our soul and spirit from one place to another with out floating away.  Yes, it is true that our
bodies are important and we should take care of them.  We need the body to remain healthy so
that we can complete our mission on earth.  However, it is important to note that God has a
completely different view of our body than society does.  If you want to know how we are made,
and who made us, we need only to read the Bible.  Through reading the Bible, we can understand
how we are treat our bodies, the value that they should be assigned, and the respect that is due
them.  

In scripture our bodies are designed by God himself.  "You made my whole being, you formed me
in my mother's body." Psalm 139:13 (NCV)  Even when you were unaware of the Lord, he was
aware of and with you.  So, it is important to know that your body was personally designed by
God.   Your body is also described as a temple.  "Do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit..."1Corinthians 6:19 (NIV).  Your body is a holy place.  We would never trash,
disrespect, or devalue a temple and yet that is exactly what society does today.  The body is an
object, it is not respected or valued.  The truth is, you do not belong to yourself.  You belong to
God.  He bought you with His life and that is how valuable you are to him.  So if our bodies are
temples, we need to treat them with the same respect and reverence we do a temple.

Your body was designed in love, not to be loved.  What happens in society is that the body and the
way it looks becomes an object of worship, instead of the God who created it.  Going back to our
guidebook for life, the Bible, we discover how to have balance in the way we look at and treat
our bodies.

Our bodies began as dust.  That's it, that is what we are all made of...dust.  "All go to the same
place; all come from dust, and to dust all return." Ecclesiastes 3:20 (NIV).  Do you like dust?  Do
you worship dust?  NO!  Someday our earthly bodies will return to dust.  We can't change that,
and no amount of surgery or laser peels will prevent it.  Why?  Because are bodies are perishable.  
They are not supposed to last forever.  Someday, we are going to get a new and improved model.  
"...this light and power that now shine within us - is held in perishable containers, that is, in our
weak bodies."  2Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)  Our bodies are actually temporary housing for what is
designed to last forever, our soul, and spirit.  Nothing we do to this body will last.  The only thing
that continues with us into eternity is our inner woman.  When we invest our time in making over
our hearts, we are investing in what will last forever.  This earthly body will pass away.  You can't
take anything earthly with you when you die.  You could spend your whole life chasing after and
working on the shell called your body.  In the end, it will return to dust.  I can assure you, that the
most beautiful part of you, will live on for eternity.  

What makes us stand out, what makes us beautiful is what is inside.  Our bodies contain the spirit
of a person made in the image and likeness of the creator of the universe.  Although we are
perishable, temporary, and made of dust, we are also a temple, and sacred because of what is
inside.  That is the balance.  Have respect for your body as a gift.  Treat it with respect and
honor, but understand that it is temporary,and that it will be replaced.  Strive to accept that what
is inside is the most beautiful part of who we are.  

"Therefore we do not lost heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day."
2Corinthians 4:16

For reflection:  Do you understand the importance of balance regarding your body?  If we follow
the worlds lead, we will invest all our time and effort in trying to preserve that which is not meant
to last.  The Bible teaches us that "beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fear the Lord is to be
praised".  God wants us to care for our bodies, we need them to be healthy so we can complete
our life's mission.  However, we are not to make them the focus of all our attention and effort.  
That becomes worship, and the only thing that we are to worship is God.  Do you see how the
world places too much attention and adoration on our physical bodies.

A prayer for you...Dear Father, Lord I ask that you help all of us to focus all our attention and
effort on developing our heart.  Father, we want your best for us.  Help us to ignore the influence
of the world and focus only on what you think is important.  Give us the desire to work on those
things that will make us more like you.  Help us to fully understand the beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit, and how that beauty can change our entire appearance.  Help us to see that when our
hearts are fixed on you, our beauty will be the reflection of your grace, of your love, and of your
peace in our lives.
Amen

Until next time...


Copy write CJ Rapp 2005 - All rights reserved