Pristine Condition

"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"- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV).

Have you ever had a brand new car or truck? You wash and wax it, park it away from other cars (especially questionable cars), fill it with the best grade of fuel, faithfully take it in for scheduled maintenance and, of course, no one is allowed to eat inside the car. Gasp! Then one day the first ding happens. Maybe it was as simple as a piece of gravel thrown up from the car in front of you or you've backed into the cart bin in the Costco's parking lot. Disappointment floods you as you look at the imperfection. Even if the car is repaired, the vehicle is no longer in pristine condition. God has given us each a "vehicle" for our time here on earth. We are to take care of it: being careful what we put in it, where we "park" it, and faithfully take it in for regular maintenance. We begin in pristine condition, but sooner or later the dings happen, which make us feel hopeless in honoring God with our bodies, but God is the Master Mechanic. Those of you who are suffering from dings, take heart: Not only did God pay the price for you, but God is in the restoration business (1 Peter 5:6-11). Be sure to be faithful in planning regular maintenance with the Master Mechanic. Unlike a repaired car, God is all powerful and He puts us back into pristine condition.