You Are God's Temple

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? — 1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV

The Spirit of God dwells in you. Maybe you don’t always feel as though you deserve to be treated well, but knowing that something as beautiful, wonderful, and powerful as the Holy Spirit is part of you is a compelling reason to care for your body. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to finding a rhythm of self-care is an underlying belief that you aren’t worthy of such love and tenderness from yourself. Have you found yourself looking inward and only seeing all the ways you don’t measure up? God looks at you and sees His child, deserving of love and grace and all good things. He chooses to dwell in you, and that is abundant evidence that you are worthy and adored just as you are. Care for His temple — your body — with that in mind.

• Why do you sometimes feel unworthy of self-care?

How does focusing on God’s deep and unconditional love for you help you feel more deserving of love from yourself?

Write down some verses that remind you of your worth in God’s eyes. Reread them as often as you need to.

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Overindulgence

Don’t drink wine excessively. The drunken path is a reckless path. It leads nowhere. Instead, let God fill you with the Holy Spirit. — Ephesians 5:18 The Voice

A lot of times indulgence is confused for self-care. When you’re stressed, the occasional glass of wine with dinner can easily become a nightly fixture. Or maybe you find yourself eating fast food or too much cake to avoid your feelings or even to cover up your feelings. Anything done in excess can become a dangerous dependence, especially if it’s used in an unhealthy way. This behavior harms your body and is not the way to care for it. Don’t mistake over-indulgence for self-care. See it for what it is: excessive.

Moderation is the path to self-care that God has laid out for us when it comes to treats and indulgences.

Is there anything you have been overindulging in lately?

What do you find yourself reaching for automatically when you get stressed, upset, or angry? Is it good for your body?

Excerpted with permission from The Weekly Self-Care Project, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

God’s boundaries are for our benefit and our good! Self-care is a good thing, but not when it teeters into over-indulgence. Moderation is the best form of self-care for us, friends! Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from us! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full