Honoring God With Your Mind and Body

READ

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

DEVOTIONAL

The verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. The Greek word for captive is aichmalótos, which is the same terminology used for a prisoner of war. In other words, the tempting thoughts that cross our mind don’t own us, we own them. We can bind them up, hold them captive, and even interrogate them with truth. We can make our thoughts obey Christ, forcing them to switch sides in battle. 

Because temptations make promises they never fulfill, we can examine the false promises and hold them up to the light. We can ask ourselves, “What is this temptation promising to fulfill?” Maybe the answer is pleasure, freedom, the feeling of being loved or wanted. Write it down. Once you’ve identified an answer, ask yourself another question: “How can I find the fulfillment of this promise in God?” We can look for the longings of our soul in The One big enough to fill it—not just momentarily, but for eternity. If the answer is pleasure, we can find pleasure and delight in the Lord. If the answer is freedom, we remember that whom the Son sets free is free indeed. If it’s love we long for, we read in scripture that nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

Jesus spoke of this lasting fulfillment in John 4:14, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Let’s take our thoughts captive, examine the false promises, and turn to the true promise keeper, Jesus. 

DECLARATION

I’ve made a covenant and promise with my eyes and with my God, who strengthens me. God is always faithful and when I am tempted, He will always provide a way out. Temptation cannot fulfill promises, but God always does. 

PRAYER

Jesus, thank you for your strength to honor you with my mind and body. Thank you that you value me and love me. Thank you that you are a promise keeper. I trust you for the deep desires of my heart. Guard me from temptation and help me to take every thought captive in obedience to you. Allow the thoughts in my mind and desires of my heart to align with your Truth. I love you, Lord. Amen.