You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. – Romans 8:9-11
Did you bounce out of bed this morning with vim and vigour, excited for all that lay ahead? As a registered ‘night owl’, it has been rare, and even rarer as I’ve aged, for me to bounce out of bed in the morning. In fact, as I age, I find that skipping out on hours of sleep reaps many more troubles than in my younger years; and I’ve begun to experience occasionally what I used to snigger at in older people: waking up injured when my only activity has been sleep.
That said, I’ve probably been fit for about 5 minutes of my life, so my body has likely aged much more quickly than most.
It is a reality that, if we are given enough years of life, we will age. We will begin to notice the (negative) effects of time on our bodies. Where once, the passage of time meant that we grew taller and faster and stronger, now we begin shrinking and slowing down and weakening. Our bodies begin to fail. The likelihood of illness increases. And we come face to face with this truth: your body is subject to death because of sin.
What we do with our bodies, and what is done to our bodies, matters. We are not souls encased in random bodies, our ‘self’ is an integrated heart-mind-body-soul. What we do with our bodies affects the whole of us, and so, even though our bodies are mortal, we use them, and all of our selves, for the righteousness that leads to life.
Joni Eareckson Tada became a quadriplegic about 50 years ago in a diving accident. She has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. She has limited upper body movement but cannot use her hands at all. Far from being able to ignore her body, she suffers from chronic pain. This is a body that one might quite rightly write off as more dead than alive, and yet she has used it, growing in righteousness that leads to life. She has not hidden away in a sick bed, though it would be totally understandable for her to do so; instead, she has been a source of inspiration and encouragement to many through her speaking engagements, her books and through personal connection.
Joni has embodied – somehow in a body that is so broken – what it means to live in the Spirit. She has not only hidden God’s words in her heart, but they are constantly on her lips. She says that she cannot pick up the Bible to read at any moment, and so she must have it in her mind. And one who may rightly seem to need more encouragement, is in fact the source of encouragement and rich blessing to others, with many songs that burst forth from her heart. She is honest with her struggles, but she honestly says that she has grown to love and cling to Jesus more because of them.
I wonder whether we take the struggles we face in our mortal bodies, with the attendant frustrations and limitations and failings, and press deeper into Jesus. I wonder whether we would use even the failings of our bodies as opportunities to drink more deeply of God’s riches.
And even more, how do we use the abilities and strength of our bodies?
Our bodies may be dying, but the Spirit of life is in us to grow us in righteousness, and every part of life can be put in service to that growth. In both sickness and health, in strength and weakness, we can be growing in righteousness.
Has sickness or injury forced your body to idle? What can your mind dwell on that will benefit your spirit? (And how can you prepare now by filling your mind with Scripture?)
Is mobility an issue for you? How can you learn to humbly receive help?
Are you frustrated that your mind or body is not behaving in the way you would choose? How can you submit to God’s sovereignty over both mind and body?
Thank God, we look forward to the day when the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead will also raise our mortal bodies. Thank God that we don’t have to wait to begin the process of sanctification that brings life from death. Thank God that He will bring us to fulness and completion, when heart, mind, body and soul will be fully and finally alive, eternally.
Prayer focus:
- Praise God that He makes us alive. Praise God for the bodies that He has given us. Praise Him for the future we have with Him and the present we can prepare with Him.
- Pray that we would grow in holiness, even in times when our bodies fail.
- Pray for those who have significant and/or chronic health concerns, for healing, for hope, for endurance and for God to become more real and precious to them. Pray that we would be able to love and encourage them well and learn how to offer practical help.
