Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

Sweet friends, this name has been on my mind for weeks.

I’ve been reading a fabulous book by Hosanna Wong titled, “You are More Than You’ve Been Told” (check it out, it’s amazing!), and an exercise in the book led me to really consider what it means that God calls us His “temple” and the dwelling place of His Spirit.

As I meditated on the name, I came to many of the responsibilities that I am sure you have heard before. Being God’s temple means that we need to take care of our bodies and our health, and we need to avoid sin because sin grieves the Spirit of God who lives in every believer (Ephesians 4:30).

The longer I meditated though, I began to focus on an aspect of being God’s temple that I think we often overlook.

As God’s temple, the dwelling place of His Spirit, also called Holy Spirit, we are literally accompanied everywhere we go by the Living God.

Read that again.

Believer, if you were the only person left on earth, you would still not be alone. God is ALWAYS with you, and that means that God’s love is ALWAYS with you.

His grace is ALWAYS with you.

His mercy is ALWAYS with you.

His power is ALWAYS with you.

His wisdom is ALWAYS with you.

I could go on and on, but I think King David said it best in Psalm 23:1 when he said, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I have all that I need. (NLT)” and again in Psalm 27:1 when he said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (ESV).

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, as God’s temple, we are fully equipped for anything and everything God calls us to, fully protected from anything and everything the enemy hurls our way.

I don’t know about you, but far too often I live in my own limitations; I do things out of my own power and giftedness.

And all the while, the Spirit of the Living God is dwelling within me longing for me to have a faith that embraces and relies on Him instead.

A specific emphasis that God has placed on my heart in this area involves our public schools. For those who follow my educational writing, this is the reason I changed the subtitle of “Teaching Practices that Testify”. I realized that I had fallen for the enemy’s lies that because of separation of church and state, Christian educators couldn’t talk about Jesus in school. But dear heart, when God places His people in a mission field, He expects them to work it and that means letting the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Whether you’re working in a publicly funded position or not, being God’s temple means that we don’t have to live or work from a place of fear. We can live our lives from a place of power – knowing that God gives the wisdom for what to say and when, and Holy Spirit gives the words (John 14:26). God protects positions for those He places because He has all authority of who rises and falls in leadership (Daniel 2:21).

Furthermore, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19-20 that when two or more of God’s temples are gathered together, Jesus is there! And when we pray together in unity, God answers that prayer.

Why?

Because the Spirit leads us in what to pray; our prayers align to the Father’s will because of the Spirit! God is quick to answer what is asked in His will (1 John 5:14-15)!

Father, forgive me for all the times I have not behaved as Your temple should behave! Forgive my cowardice! Strengthen my memory to not forget again that You are with me always and that Your full might and provision are at hand through Holy Spirit dwelling in me!

Father, teach Your children to embrace all it means to be Your temple! Grow in us a trust of You and a quickness to reach to Your Spirit for all things and not to our own abilities!

Thank You, Father in advance for this prayer we know aligns to Your will and Your desire for our walks with You!

Amen.

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