“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19a, New International Version)

“How are you?” has become more than a rhetorical greeting in our home. A rare motor neuron disease, coupled with chronic blood clot complications, mandates that we plan our days around medical appointments and the side effects of medication. “How are you?” is a real question. By God’s blessing, my wife Laurie became a health coach a year and a half ago. We have lost 80 pounds each; and as a health coach, Laurie asks “How are you?” of her clients numerous times a day. Almost 1,000 people have become part of her team. Helping people get healthy is her passion.

The contrast of my disabling illness and Laurie’s health coaching leads to a great deal of health talk around our home. As you might expect, our conversation often converges at the intersection of our spiritual and physical journeys: how are soul and body related in the pursuit of well-being?

Over decades of pastoring, I learned that many people ponder this relationship. If the ultimate hope of faith is our souls’ eternity in heaven, how much do our physical bodies really matter?

Paul’s words to the Corinthians above are a good place to start as we seek answers. The Holy Spirit has established residency inside of us. How we care for our physical well-being somehow reflects the value that we place on the Spirit’s presence within us.

The imagery is reminiscent of taking care of the church house. It is only a building; but because holy moments occur inside the walls, we should treat the church building with great attentiveness. The same is true for our bodies.

But when we think of our bodies as “temples,” we ought not to picture hallways, classrooms, offices, or fellowship halls. The word that Paul uses here is more specific than that.

Paul writes that our bodies are the holy place. In Moses’ tabernacle, the holy place was where the priests prepared for worshipful rituals, including the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest visited with God on the Day of Atonement.

The physical body may not last forever; but during its time, it is the home of God.

This aging, aching body is holy, because God is within it. Take care of His house.

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