If we live, it’s to honour the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honour the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
(Romans 14:8, NLT)
I’m renting a house here in Melbourne, and it is my fifth year living in the property. Nothing of this house belongs to me even though I’ve been paying rent all these years. That’s the way it is in the rental agreement. The house belongs to its owner. I’m only a tenant, and I’m responsible for keeping the house clean. Also to ensure it’s in good shape.
What benefits are there for me as a tenant taking care of other’s property? Plenty. Whatever fittings on the property need fixing, it’s the landlord’s responsibility. Recently a plumber came to fix the kitchen sink and taps. The landlord pays all these repairs. Three years ago, it was time to replace both of the wall furnaces. As a tenant, I spent not a single cent. The landlord fixed them! It is his responsibility because the property belongs to him.
You and I have this one thing in common. Our body and life don’t belong to us. It’s God’s property. Jesus paid a very high price for it. He allows us to rent it while we are on earth. Our job is to take good care of it. By doing so, we honour the Lord. Our health and wellbeing through our body is a testimonial to the goodness and greatness of our Lord. To praise God, we are to take good care of this ‘property’ as we do our part by taking care of this ‘property’, in honour of the Lord. God, in return, would take care of this life and body. How would God care for it? Healing.
Over the years of my journey with the Lord, God graciously healed my body. I remember waking up one morning with severe back pain. It was excruciating from my neck to both shoulders, right down to the spine. I can’t get up from the bed, not even rolling to either side. After sitting up, both my legs were numb and shaking due to the pain. I felt weak from the waist down.
I forced myself to the bathroom, to wash up and shower. Within seconds, a still small voice with deep conviction dawns on me. I knew it was the Lord. So I reached out to Him by saying, “Lord, touch my body. I want to experience Your healing grace right now. I will receive healing once I’m done with the shower. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”
Guess what!? The Lord is faithful to fix His property. He is a great landlord! All discomfort and excruciating pain left me as soon as I finished showering. How great is the Lord!
God promises to take care of this body and life if we do our part by taking care of His temple. Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He will surely protect and guard over it!
Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Let’s pray
Dear God, I thank You for Jesus who died for my sins. I am now redeemed. He purchased me at a very high price. Today my body and life are worth more than a million and a billion dollars. It is beyond earthly monetary value. It is a divine asset owned by Christ, the Lord. It is a privilege for my soul to live in this ‘property’ of Yours. Give me Your wisdom and strength to care for this divine asset. Let me live a life honouring You and all the effort of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!