Honoring God With Our Bodies

For women: Just as men are attracted to beauty, women have a desire to be found beautiful. Beauty is another good thing created by God that can become a snare if it’s in the wrong place in our lives (such as vanity, preoccupation with appearance, neglecting the development of inner qualities, etc.). Sometimes focusing too much on my beauty and wanting to be found beautiful can wake up my sexual desire and lust. Know that you are found beautiful in God’s eyes. The Lord says to us: “How lovely you are, my darling” (Song of Songs 4:7a TLV). Bask without inhibition in His light and blossom in His affection and attention.

For men: Most of us are being bombarded by culture and media with false messages and narratives regarding physical appearance, romance, and sex. If we truly want to attain God’s highest both in singleness and marriage, we need a foundation in the Word of God, invigorated by the Spirit of wisdom and truth as we seek God’s specific will for our current situations and battles. Let’s invite God to transform us in each of these areas as we renew our minds through His Word.

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We know that our sexuality is God-given and good. Our bodies are designed by God and are good. The sexual parts of our bodies and our beauty are good. How do we honor God with our bodies, our sexuality, and our sexual feelings, especially in singleness?

“To adorn myself with self-control” (from 1 Timothy 2:9 ESV).

I am not my own. I was bought with a price. Therefore, I choose to honor God with my body. I honor God with my body by adorning myself with self-control. It looks like stewarding my sexuality with self-control, which is a fruit of living by the Spirit, and keeping in step with Him, even in the secret moments, even in the space between sexual desire and before any outward action, in the thoughts and the motives of my heart. Self-control is a product of a life satisfied in spiritual intimacy with Jesus (the PureHeart Challenge: Plan 5 focuses on this topic).

If our desire is to honor God with our sexuality and our hearts, He will absolutely show us the way to walk this out. He is our Maker, after all.

Talk with Jesus

As you read today’s verses, bring this question to Jesus and talk with Him about it.

• What does it look like to honor You with my body and sexuality?

Prayer: God, this is such a deep mysterious truth that I am not my own and that I was bought at a price. Teach me more of what this means. I choose to honor You with my body and sexuality. Show me what this looks like.