Glorify God With Your Mortal Body by Min. Gail Faulkner

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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which is God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Your main purpose in life is to glorify the Father in everything.
You may say, “I am doing a great job in glorifying God in my body. After all, I do not overindulge, I exercise, I sleep eight hours a day, I stay well-groomed, and I take care of my physical body. Yes, the body is important, but there are other things that are also important. As you meditate on I Corinthians 6:19-20, you will realize that you should glorify God in your body and your SPIRIT through fellowship, worship, and Lordship. In fact, this can only be accomplished by submitting to God’s will and taking on His form. For example, one of the ways you can glorify the Father on a daily basis is by staying connected to Him through prayer. You can esteem Him most excellent through your appreciation, adoration, affection, and subjection to Him.
In addition to praising and magnifying the name of the Lord, here are three basic principles you can also do to exalt Him: First, develop a relationship with Him by walking daily in His presence-again, pray, read the Bible, and acknowledge Him in all your ways; Secondly, ask and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. John 16:13 promises that the Comforter will guide you into all truth. And, finally, acknowledge every day, all that you do is for the building of God’s kingdom and for His glory. Knowing these truths, you can live in such a way that God’s visible glory shines through your life. As well, Matthew 5:16 records the words of the Lord in which He says our lights should bring glory to God: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
One of the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21, which we often overlook, is fits of anger. We are cautioned to put it away because it causes us to sin against our own bodies. We are warned that those who do such things [enduring fits of anger] will not inherit the kingdom of God. We are not to give in to every whim of our flesh. We are not to submit even to the lust of our flesh by becoming bitter or resentful.
As a young Christian, growing up, I remembered a time I felt heavily burdened and downcast because of an offensive word spoken to me publicly by someone I admired. I remembered being so embarrassed, disappointed and broken that I did not want to be seen by or talk to anyone. I remembered rushing home only to shut myself in my bedroom, away from everyone. I cried uncontrollably for about two hours. After my feeling-sorry-for-myself moment, I began to worship and praise the Lord. The Holy Spirit had broken up my pity party. My sorrow turned into gladness. I began laughing frenziedly for about one solid hour. It felt like someone had been tickling me and would not stop. My burden which was heavy had now become light. Truly,” the joy of the Lord was my strength.” He intercepted and transformed my sorrow into gladness. The Lord gave me “the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… ” (Isaiah 61:3). I realized the indwelling of His presence had overflowed into the core of my innermost being at a time when I needed Him most. Today, even as I write, the memory of that awesome moment of laughter dominates my heart more than the memory of the offense. I believe my first step to healing was going to the Lord in prayer. This opened the door for me to completely THROW my bitterness and resentment of sins at the feet of Jesus by the leading of the Holy Spirit (See, I Corinthians 9:27). I had a choice to let those sins dominate and reign in my spirit or to turn them over to Jesus.
The lesson learned that day was simple: Although I was overwhelmed by the offense, the Holy Spirit was willing and available to empower, strengthen, and comfort me. He helped me overcome the sin of becoming bitter and resentful, which if ignored, would have been harmful to my body and my spirit being. I thank God for allowing me to experience His awesome presence of comfort and empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
Numerous medical researchers have pointed out that life depression and other emotional stress, bitterness, and resentment can aggravate or cause physical ailments. As well, the Bible affirms that these oppressive and destructive passions have roots in hate, which is likened to murder. You can be affected mentally, physically, and spiritually. I Thessalonians 4:4 tell us, “That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor.” The point is to realize you do not have to be defeated and face dilemmas alone. You can “possess” and take control of your spirit by allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control, which glorifies Him.
When you love your children, God is glorified; when you honor the people around you, God is glorified; when you manage your finances God’s way, He is glorified; when you help some in need, it glorifies the Father, and yes, when you pray for those who harm you, God is glorified. Even in the midst of pain, the Lord is willing to be glorified in and through you. You have to allow the Holy Spirit to help you keep your temple pure and clean from sin. God’s Holy Spirit indwells in and overflows through the Believer causes our very body to become the Temple of God where He lives.
Does your life glorify God? If not, it is not too late for you to bring glory to His name. You must turn to the Lord immediately. That is, you must repent of your sins by asking Him to forgive you of your sins, forgive others, and invite Him to live in your heart. Alternatively, if you are glorifying God by living for Him as a Christian, then do not give up; instead, press on and God will honor you in ways that you cannot even imagine. As situations arise, you should still ask God to forgive you of your sins. Then, and only then, you will be able to say, “To God be the glory for the things He has done.” It is that simple yet profound. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). When you honor God with your life, He will in turn honor you.
What are your thoughts?


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