We were born into a culture that glorifies the body. Since we were little, we’ve heard phrases like:
– Be careful, you’ll fall and hurt yourself;
– Don’t get too close to the fire, you’ll get burned;
– Eat or you won’t grow;
– You have to sleep if you want to grow big like your daddy.

We were taught and conditioned to take care of our bodies—feeding them, resting them, etc. We know how important it is to sleep, eat healthily, and exercise. Unintentionally, we ended up identifying with our bodies. We find our value in how we look. We love to be well-dressed, well-groomed, well-styled. We spend large amounts of money to have a nice house or a nice car because it brings us joy.

However, our body is not who we are. To rephrase it, I would say: You are not what you see in the mirror. In reality, your mirror reflects the house where “the real you” lives.

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling.” – 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

“I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body.” – 2 Peter 1:13

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” – 1 Corinthians 6:15

These passages show that the body is only a temporary dwelling. It is not the real “me.”

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23

The real me is the spirit! I am a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. Because I am a spirit, what matters most to God is the well-being of my spirit. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I became a new creation—it was my spirit that was reborn, it is my spirit that is saved.

So, God is concerned about the state of my spirit, its growth. God is not focused on my wardrobe, the handbags I carry, or the car I drive. He is interested in my growth—that is, the condition of my spirit.

Now, I am not saying that a Christian can dress however they want just because God looks at the heart first. Far from it! God sees us as a whole being, and as we saw in Chapter 3, He is a holy God who demands holiness in every area of our lives, including how we dress.

But what matters most to God is our inner being. Is it healthy? Is it well-fed? Is it exercising? Is it progressing? These are God’s priorities. Dear brothers and sisters, if you have just given your life to Christ, then know this: God’s priority for you is what you are doing spiritually to grow and mature. And the Bible is very clear on how to take care of your spirit—it mainly involves three key points:

MEDITATION ON THE WORD

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” – 1 Peter 2:2

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4

Our spirit is fed when we meditate on the Word of God. If you have just accepted the Lord Jesus (or even if you’ve been a believer for years), it is crucial that you invest time in the Word of God. Reading and meditating on the Bible are the essential keys if you don’t want to remain a spiritual baby forever.

Unfortunately, many Christians are not familiar with the Word of God. They listen to worship songs, watch sermons online, read Christian books—but they don’t read the Bible. Yet the Bible is the only book that God has left for us. Yes, there are many books inspired by God, but the only one that is fully inspired from beginning to end is the Bible.

You must therefore invest time in reading, re-reading, and meditating on the Word so that your spirit may grow…

This text is an excerpt from the book “MY FIRST STEPS IN CHRIST” written by Elza NGALESSAMI.

We invite you to read the following article: “YOUR SOUL REVEALS WHO YOU ARE.”

KNOWING. KNOWING. KNOWING