Daily Devotional Wk9 Daniel Fast Day 8 - 02/25/24 - I Don't Own the Rights to this Body

Author: Evangelist Lisa L. Dalton

I Don’t Own the Rights to this Body

I Cor. 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Devotional:
In 2002 I was introduced to the world of Body Building. Body Building is very different from going to the gym and doing cardio and lifting a few weights. It requires much, much, much more discipline. Strict diets, no sugar, no fruit. Let’s just say, none of the good stuff. It required going to the gym seven days a week from one to two hours a day. It required drinking a gallon of water a day, and getting at least seven hours of rest every day. It required taking numerous amounts of supplements; many of which were extremely hard to swallow. During this time my body literally transformed before my eyes. I adopted this scripture after I did my first and only competition.

One of the sisters at my former church (a new believer) was bothered by what I did to my body and me doing the show. She mentioned it to our Pastor. She, my pastor, and I had a really nice conversation about my decision to do the show. She couldn’t understand how I could be a Christian and get on stage and show my body off before people. I explained to her that it wasn’t about the show, it was about me learning how to be disciplined and taking care of my body that Christ gave me. As I understood that my body wasn’t mine, it was loaned to me by The Lord. It was a gift that I wanted to take care of. I let her know that during this time of transformation I not only transformed my way of life as it relates to my health and fitness, but I transformed the way I looked at the gift God gave me. My Body.

Paul lets us know that we do not belong to ourselves. We are the property of The Lords'. He gave us this life to live and to live it for Him. He said for us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Meaning, we have free will to bring our bodies to Him. Our lives. When we allow The Holy Spirit to live inside of our soul, our body, our life will show it. After training for competition, there was no secret about my lifestyle as a Body Builder, why, because my body looked like a Body Builders' body. When people see you, can they tell what kind of life you’re living and who you belong to?

As you go through day eight, allow this time of sacrifice to start you on your journey of discipline to a new body, a new way of living, a new way of being. Let giving up all the good stuff you like be well worth the reward. A new mind and body for Christ.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for giving me the mind to understand that You gave me my body as a gift that is to be given back to You. Thank You for showing me how important it is for me to take care of my body so that others can see You in me and You be glorified. Thank You for giving me the discipline I need to make it through this journey to transformation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.