For the past month or so, I have been planning and preparing to rent out an apartment. I have been wanting my own living space for a while now, but now, I am finally in a space of financially supporting myself enough to make that happen.
Now, I realize that when renting an apartment, it mine, but not “all the way” mine, lol. Like, I realize that I will make it into a home, but it is not my permanent residence; that one day I will be moving on to another apartment, or more hopefully, buying my own home one day.
However, there is something interesting about the inner concept of renting something out, whether that be an apartment or a car or maybe something else. When renting something out, we are suppose to have an understanding that what we are renting has a temporary possession in our hands. This temporary possession is supposed to be handled with care until it returned to the proper owner.
Now, does this always happen? Lol, no. Just think about the times we have borrowed things from loved ones and mismanaged their possessions; we did not always handle them with care, did we? I can imagine you are nodding in agreeance just as I am about the question I asked.
However, it is funny, because sometimes how we treat something that we are borrowing or renting out, also depends on the value of that said possession. I remember one time I let a friend borrow a magazine that I absolutely LOVED because of the articles in that it possessed. I trusted that this person, my close friend, would give the magazine back to me in the same condition that I gave it back. However, a month or so later when I did receive it back, the magazine was torn in more than a few pages; there were pages missing; and it looked like it had been used as a coaster a few times.
I was thoroughly upset with my close friend because this magazine had become my prized possession, but it was treated as a though it had no value to my close friend. However, when I borrowed something from this close friend, no matter what it was, I treated it with complete value because 1) I knew it wasn’t mine and 2) I would have return it back in the same condition, otherwise, I would have to pay price to either purchase another or get it fixed.
I never wanted to risk and put myself in a position where I had to pay back a hefty price for something I rented.
So, what does this have to do with ANYTHING? Well… it has a lot to do with how we treat ourselves as children of the Most High God. You see, when we gave our lives to Christ, we made an exchange: The old for the new (2nd Corinthians 5:17).
During that exchange, there was a change that ensued: Our bodies are no longer ours for our use only. Our body is now a temple for the Spirit of God to reside in (1st Corinthians 6:19) which means we can no longer just do anything that we want with it and place any value that we deem is right. We become living sacrifices unto God (Romans 12:1-2)
“Renting out this space”, aka the body that we live in, has made us living sacrifice for the Lord’s purpose and will. Once we made that exchange with God to become a new creature in Christ, there was suppose to be an understanding that took place that we have to take care of what we possess, no matter what value we think it should be, and that what we possess is only temporary.
But God pointed out to me that there are some of us, including myself, that while we are aware that our bodies are temporary, we are not treating it and taking care of it with the value God has placed on it.
Yes, our bodies are temporary in the physical and spiritual sense, however, that does not give us an excuse to treat it any kind of way either. Whether that means we are not drinking enough water or filling it with hateful speeches of much we dislike our body, it still has value; it is still a Temple.
Yes it is true that flesh and Spirit are against one another and we are encouraged to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17), however, it is also true that was take care of our space (1st Corinthians 3:16-17; 1st Corinthians 10:31) for we bought with a price and our Temple is not our own but now belongs to God (1st Corinthians 6:19-20).
It is time for us recognize that same value that God has for us and that we cannot treat our renting space any type of way. Damages will not only hurt us in the process, but it will hurt God. He desires great things for us, however, if our lack of care for ourselves is a barrier, it will be a much harder process than it was ever planned to be.
Paying for those damages will come with a hefty price: Being in uncomfortable positions to remove the misinterpreted value of your rented space. That would require for us to fill in some holes, repair physical and spiritual damages, and looking at our space in a whole different light.
Once we recognize the value, how we treat our space will become increased.
Hope this helps,
With love,
Love,
T.
Enjoying the sweetness of god 