Single and Not Sorry: Devotions of Real Encouragement for Right NowSýnishorn

Body Respect

Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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 bodies.

I CORINTHIANS 6:19–20 NIV

What comes to mind when you think of a church? Maybe it’s the small-town church you attend weekly, or the busy church with the big white steeple on the corner, or an old stained glass–filled cathedral you toured on vacation. Each of these churches is beautiful in its own way, but we approach them all with respect and care. In this passage in I Corinthians, Paul is instructing us to apply that same reverence and awe to our own bodies. His reasoning here is rooted in the gospel: because Jesus died for our sins on the cross, we were “bought at a price.” And if you’ve accepted God into your heart, His Spirit now dwells within you and alongside you at all times (see Acts 2:38). For these reasons, your body-mind, physical body, and spirit—deserve kindness and respect.

Better still, treating your body with the same reverence and thoughtfulness that you would a church makes God proud. This body respect could look like speaking more kindly to yourself, working to tune in to your physical needs more (rest when you need it, move when you feel it), or learning more about your own mind through therapy. Respecting your body doesn’t look like berating yourself over your singleness, restricting and dieting in order to appear more attractive to others, or changing your likes and dislikes for the sake of another. God’s Spirit lives inside you, and He is pleased when you treat all parts of yourself with love. Working to respect your body will teach others to respect you as well.

Right Now Reminder:

Your body-mind, physical body, and spirit—are worthy of respect and love.