Jan 03

"You are not your own" (1 Cor. 6:19).

This truth about yourself is one of the consequences of your origin. Because God made you, you are not your own; you belong to him.

This truth is an eye-opener for many people. They do not know that they are not their own. They think that their life is theirs to do with as they please, that they own their own souls. But the truth is that they do not.

Scripture warns us in Romans 12:3 not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Surely the people of this world ignore this warning from God. The norm in the world is the proud attitude that a person's life is his or hers to do with as that person pleases.

But Scripture constantly reminds us that we are not our own, that we belong to someone other than ourselves. All we need do to confirm this truth is to stop for a moment and think, "Where did I come from? What is my origin?"

No human being has existed forever. We all were born; we all have a birthday. We are not our own. Someone else made us. Our life is a gift from the Maker of all the living. There are no exceptions among human beings to this truth.

"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" (1 Cor. 4:7).

Does your lifestyle boast of an independence from God, or does it show a constant yielding of the knee to your Maker?

Scripture for today: Romans 14:7-12
Thought for today: I am not my own.
Prayer for today: Eternal Father, I stand in awe of my origin. You made me. Thank you for doing that. Help me to see more each day the awesome consequences of this fundamental truth about my own existence--and yours, that you are eternal, with no beginning. You are the beginning of everything else. For this I praise you and worship you. Amen.

JAN 03