Guidelines for "living temples of the Holy Spirit"

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“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” – 2 Corinthians 6:19, 20  (NIV)

More questions than answers can lead to growth. Keeping that in mind, I ask myself:

How is a temple cared for?  What does a living temple look like?

Is it well-kept, clean, and representative of its God?

How would I dress and groom myself if I believed myself to be an ambassador and representative expression of God in  and to the world?

How much restful sleep and exercise would I give myself? Would I see these as gifts or burdensome duties?

How much, and what type, of food and drink would I consume?

How would I eliminate stress and tension from my heart and mind? Would I have a plan for this, or simply “suppress my stress”, or leave stress reduction to chance?

How much time would I spend listening to the God who lives inside of me?

How would my relationships support my desire to be an honorable temple of God?

How often would I reflect upon what I am doing with my time on Earth?

How often would I reflect upon what facts will appear in my obituary?

How many new things would I learn within a year or two years?

How many times in a day would I show gratitude to those around me?

How quickly would I resolve to forgive those who have injured me, knowing full well that as God’s temple, my problems and “issues” will be correctly and thoroughly handled by God.

How much money would I share with others, knowing that God always takes financial care of His temple?

Would I make short or long term plans, or make major life decisions, without getting approval from the God who lives in me?

How many people would be glad to welcome me into their space?

Would my reliance upon God free me from social neediness and “people pleasing”?

Would others honor the God whose temple I am, or would they simple wonder how I “manage to do it all”?

How content would I be with my daily life?

How is a temple cared for?  What does a living temple look like?





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