You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
From Brianna:
When the scripture says that "no one will get by vandalizing God's temple", that includes YOU. Ladies, your body is like a rose. Beautiful, desired, and sacred. Treat yourself like the creation of your Creator that you are! Respect yourself. When you respect yourself, others will respect you.
Let me go deeper. The UNPOPULAR truth is that the ability to abstain yourself (remain celibate) did NOT die out or become extinct over time. The WILLINGNESS to abstain changed, not the physcal ability. The ability to abstain is not genetic or hereditary..it's a DECISION - an unpopular one. God's commandment to keep ourselves for marriage withstands the test of time, the test of temptation, the test of pressure, and the test of the enemy. As a young single woman, I understand that it may not be easy, but I'm a witness that it's possible. Your temple is of great value. You're worth waiting for. Rememeber, the center of a rose is protected...hidden. It has been said that your heart should be so hidden in God, that a man must find Jesus in order to find you.
How can I do this? I shared these tips on our Reflections page a couple of months ago:
Don't put yourself in a "tempting" environment. For example, If I know I'm attracted to and have deep feelings for a certain someone, I won't be found alone with them for long periods of time. Stop fooling yourself to think that you're immune to temptation.
Stay around like-minded people. If I'm the only one among my friends trying to stay celibate, it's harder for me to put them on my track than it is for me to fall in line with their agenda.
Occupy your time. It doesn't help to sit around thinking "I could be with this person" or "I wonder what he's doing" all day. You'll go crazy! Read a book, go out to eat or watch a movie with your friends. Heck, play laser tag.
Don't take in things that promote a promiscuous lifestyle. Personally, I LOVE romantic fiction novels. Sometimes, non-Christian romance books can get a little erotic. You know your spirit and how your mind can linger. Pay close attention to what you read, listen to, and watch.
Set boundaries. BEFORE you begin to date, write out boundaries. What is too far? What will you allow? What does God require? What are your weak areas? You'll want to date someone that thinks the same way if you plan to please Christ. ;-)
Consider this. God will not instruct you to do anything that He has not already given you the strength to do.
If you've fallen, find peace in repentance and the Lord's forgiveness and mercy. Make a conscious decision and effort to protect your rose, your temple.
From Mo'Nique:
Like a rose, God views you as beautiful. You were created in detail and perfected by His standards. Just like the petal of a rose, your body is God's fragile dwelling place. He instilled an essence within you that encompasses a fragrance that is sweet unto Him.
When we defile that sacred place, we are ultimately defiling our Father. Just as a gardener tends to the rose bush, He tends to us - quick to protect and shelter us from harm. However, when we forget how precious we are and deface what is dear to Him, like the thorn that pricks the hand of the gardener, He is hurt when we vandalize something that He wonderfully created.
You see, no matter how much we may think we are our own, we belong to Christ. We are His daughters, His baby girls. Nothing hurts a father more than knowing His little girl has lost respect for herself. This body of clay is our temporary home. For Him, it is a permanent sanctuary for His presence. He will not tolerate His temple being disgraced.
When we treat our bodies as temples of God, we obtain physical, emotional, and spiritual blessings. However, when we damage that temple, don’t think that you are out smarting Him. You were bought with a price! Surely, you will have to answer to His discipline. So think before you decide to lower the value of your body.
Sisters, you are more precious to God than a rose. We were created in His image. Don’t let it take Him grabbing our attention by dealing with us. Realize your worth! Baby, you are PRICELESS…so refused to be “priced-less”. How we treat ourselves sets the standards of how others will treat us…you wouldn’t want someone coming into your house and destroying your beautiful bouquet of roses would you?