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Tuesday, Jan 9 - Surrendering Your Body
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DEVOTIONAL: “SURRENDERING YOUR BODY”
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The topic I signed up to write on is “Surrendering your body to God.” What does that mean for followers of Christ? And what does that look like right now in your daily walk with God?
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According to today’s passage in Romans, as a follower of Christ, your “true and proper worship” is offering your body as a living sacrifice to God. I think this not only means offering how you use your body for daily life (eating, sleeping, working, playing, serving, etc.) but also surrendering to Him all that afflicts your earthly body. As we live in a fallen world, there are so many different struggles that we humans experience concerning our bodies including image, imperfections, aging, weight, disability, disease, and pain. But even in these afflictions, we can trust that all things are “from him and through him and for him. To him be the glory forever!” (Romans 11:36)
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However, living that truth out in your daily walk with God and truly surrendering your body by trusting and praising Him despite your physical battles can be hard. I have found that because my body is physical, my first response to physical ailments is to find a physical solution. In my nearly year-long struggle with joint inflammation and stiffness, I’ve tried altering all the factors that I have control over: nutrition, supplements, sleep, hydration, stress, etc. And while I’ve learned a lot about what I can do to better care for the body God has made for me, I have learned even more about the spiritual side of caring for my body. God’s wisdom knows no limits, and when I finally began praying for His wisdom in taking next steps in this struggle, He provided! Not always in the way I wanted with miraculous and complete healing, but in ways where I see Him faithfully and mercifully walking beside me, renewing my mind in Him.
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As Creator God, He knows every inner working of your body. As miracle worker, He has the power to take away any ailment completely. And as Sovereign God, He has the power to control everything that happens within your body. He is worthy of all praise!
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But as I was reminded a while back, God owes us nothing while we owe him everything, including our bodies. By surrendering our bodies to Him, along with our feelings of insufficiency and imperfection, we give Him highest praise. He can be trusted. No matter what difficulty you may face with your body, you can hope in our awesome and faithful God who provides hope through Jesus Christ. And hope that one day He will give us new bodies free from imperfection, disease, and pain. To Him be the glory forever!
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Lord, you are perfect, merciful and full of wisdom and knowledge. I am imperfect, needing your care and to be seen by you in my struggles. You know what struggles my body may face, and I can trust that you go before me and will see me through for your will and purposes. May I today and everyday surrender my body to you. Amen.
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“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
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