It's not myteacup

"Sometimes when I'm speaking," Randy Alcorn writes, "I ask to borrow a pencil from someone in the audience. Then I break it in half, throw it to the floor and stomp on it. There's always a wide-eyed silence and expressions of shock and discomfort in the audience. I ask them why they're bothered by what I've done, why they think I did something wrong. Someone always says "because it wasn't your pencil." Then I explain that it really was my pencil, that I gave it to the person ahead of time and asked her to hand it to me when I called on her. Suddenly it changes everything, because if it belongs to me, then (and only then) do I have the right to do with it as I please. If it belongs to someone else, I have no such right."

I was reading in my quiet time yesterday when the above illistration by Randy Alcorn came to mind. Here's the scripture I was reading:

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." --1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Wow. The context of this verse is sexual purity, which by God's grace isn't something I struggle with. But I was still affected by the magnitude of this claim. If I go to Target and buy a teacup, that's my teacup. I paid my money for it. I get to use it and dictate how it's used. I am supreme Lord over that teacup.

So here's the reality shown me in scripture: God has purchased me. He purchased me on the Cross. My ransom to sin was paid by Christ's death. I'm God's teacup.

Randy Alcorn continues the example above:

"When you came to Christ, when you affirmed him as Lord of your life, you surrendered your entire self, including your body, to God. The title to your life was transferred from you to God. Christ owns you and your body. You are bought and paid for. "Your body" is really his body. He paid the ultimate price for it. What price? The shed blood of God Almighty! We are his both by virtue of his creation and his redemption. God has every right to tell me what to do with my mind and body. I have no right to do whatever I want with what belongs to God." (emphasis added)

I have to say this isn't something I've given much thought to. My life belongs to God. This has implications for every square foot of my life. I can so often have the mentality that it's my life and I can do whatever I want with it. I'm not really paying attention. Well, I'd better start. I wouldn't want someone treating my teacup badly while it was in their stewardship.

All quotes by Randy Alcorn are taken from the article "Guidelines for Sexual Purity: What you need to know and do". (accessed 7 Feb 2006)