1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NRSV)
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Verse 12"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. Verse 13"Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Verse 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Verse 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Verse 16Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh." Verse 17But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Verse 18Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Verse 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? Verse 20For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
Devotion
Something happens to the human system psychologically, spiritually and even physiologically when forced to do something contrary to the will of God's Holy Spirit that dwells within each person. Perhaps that is the definition of dehumanization; there occurs a negative affect on both victim and perpetrator as an offense is committed. If you go against God's will, it becomes impossible for God to bless you. God will never abandon you, nor will God refuse to forgive you, but it is illogical to believe that God will bless wrongdoing.
St. Irenaeus said it well: "The Glory of God is man fully alive." Permission to take care of your body is good news. Your health is not only something you give yourself; it is also a gift to your neighbor. So put on some tunes, ear buds or simply enjoy the music permanently etched in your brain; enjoy whatever motion you can garner. Trust that in your bliss, the Holy Spirit does not take a hike.
Prayer
Keep us from the harm of our reckless desires that we might be united in the one Spirit we share through Jesus Christ, our light and our life. Amen.