I Am Not the Boss of Me

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (TPT)19 Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary.[a]20 You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood,[b] so by all means, then, use your body[c] to bring glory to God! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!Whenever I read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 my flesh begins to squirm. There are so many instances in my life where I have been challenged with this very text of scripture.Every failed diet; every failed exercise program; every choice that goes against God’s desire for my life; every failed opportunity to appreciate and honor this body that houses the Holy Spirit of the Living God!If you are anything like me, there are times when you wish that you never knew certain scriptures existed. You wish that you were not committed to allowing God’s word to live in you. You wish that this was too much knowledge to attain. You wish that you could claim direct ownership of your own body and be free from the consequences of your choices.

Hey, I get it. It’s the world that we live in, or should I say, it’s the world that lives in us!

The Apostle Paul calls it just what it is:

Romans 8:7 The Passion Translation (TPT)

7 In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction,[a] because it cannot! As born again, Spirit-filled believers, we aren’t normally outright blatant against God’s will for our lives. We are usually more passive-aggressive in getting what we want. But when or if this attempt fails, we should wisely choose to be grateful to God for allowing what was best for us, even when we didn’t want it.I have many stories to support my claim, but this is the one that Holy Spirit has asked me to share. In honor of Women’s History month, this is my transparent moment. In August of 1973 my husband and I celebrated the birth of our first son. In July of 1974, we were back at the hospital celebrating the birth of our daughter, Danielle Renee. Now, I don’t need to tell you how devastated and embarrassed we both were when we found out that I was pregnant AGAIN so soon after the birth of our son. The timing seemed all wrong!!!! To have an abortion was totally out of the question! We would never consider such a thing! We were Christians. But in my own passive-aggressive way, I tried many “innocent” things to hopefully cause my body to abort on its own. BUT NOTHING WORKED! Way back then, with my young, carnal, and naïve mind, I never once equated my actions as being in direct opposition to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. In fact, and I say this shamefully, Romans 8:7 was running the show. There was more of the world in me than there was the word of God in me. And because of that, I did not have the mind of God in this particular situation.BUT GOD!!! However, from before time began, God had a bigger and better plan for my daughter and for me!!! This beautiful, healthy, sweet, baby girl, from the first day of her birth until now, has been nothing but a blessing to our lives and to all who know her. She is everything that Psalms 139:13-16 describes:

13 You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb.[d] 14 I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! 15 You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place,[e] carefully, skillfully shaping me[f] from nothing to something. 16 You saw who you created me to be before I became me![g]] Today, forty-five years later, who knew that our daughter would be the amazing and awarded teacher that she is in St. Louis Pubic Schools. She has lost count of the many students whose lives are so much better today because they were in her classroom. Who knew that she would be the lead Children’s Ministry leader at the church that I pastor. Many of her students have come to know Christ, and to walk in purpose and destiny, all because of Danielle’s commitment to God’s plan for her life.A faithful wife, loving mother, and the list grows on and on. God aborted my plans to fulfill His purpose for the both of us. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for overriding my selfish decision and extending His amazing grace for reasons that were far beyond my comprehension. I yielded my body to His will and He, in turn gave me the best blessing ever. I don’t know what woman needs this story right now, but I feel in my heart that someone does.

I don’t know what you are facing right now. Perhaps you are thinking about taking the life of the child in your womb, or maybe even ending your own life. But please, don’t! God has a plan that is far better than anything that you could possibly imagine right now.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. My prayer for you: Father, today I pray for the woman who is reading this blog. I pray that whatever she is facing right now, that You are there with her. Remind her that Your Spirit lives inside of her and because of that, she has the strength to make right choices pertaining to her body and her life. Remind her of Your great love for her and the great price that has been paid in advance for her peace and salvation. Help her to say yes, that Your will be done and not hers. Surround her with the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen!Blessings!