The Temple of God
IF THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT YOU’RE DOING, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HIDE IT?
Bible Reading of the Day: Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
Verse of the Day: “God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Mitchell and Andy walked home from school together.
“Hey, Andy, wanna see something?” Mitchell asked.
“What?” Andy answered.
“Just follow me,” Mitchell said.
“Mitchell, wait!” Andy said, as his friend turned down a side street. “I’m supposed to go straight home.”
“It’ll just take a minute! Come on.”
Andy hesitated a moment, then turned the corner and caught up with his friend. “Mitchell,” he said, “what are you doing?”
“You’ll see.”
After a few moments, Mitchell stopped. He pointed down the street to a man in the parking lot of a vacant gas station and pulled a five-dollar bill out of his pocket.
Andy looked at the man, then at Mitchell’s money. Suddenly, he realized what Mitchell had in mind. “Are you crazy?” he asked his friend. “That man’s selling drugs!”
“No kidding,” Mitchell said, rolling his eyes. “Nick told me about him.”
“No way!” Andy said. He turned and started walking in the other direction.
“Go ahead, Andy. Go on home to your mother!” Mitchell sneered.
“I will!” Andy called over his shoulder. Then he stopped and turned back around. “Mitch, come on,” he pleaded. “You shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Why? Because you say so,” Mitchell said, “or because your mommy says ‘Just Say No’?”
“No, not because of me or my mom. Because of God.” “What’s God got to do with it?”
“He’s the one who decides if something’s wrong,” Andy said. “Something’s right if it’s like God, and it’s wrong if it’s not like him.”
“You’re really getting on my nerves, you know that?” Mitchell countered. “OK,” Andy said. “But just answer me one question: If there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, why do you have to hide it from your parents?” “They wouldn’t understand.”
“Neither do I, Mitchell.” Andy turned and walked straight home.
TO DISCUSS: How can we honor God with our bodies? How can a person respond when friends try to lead him or her into making a wrong choice?
TO PRAY: “Loving Lord, thank you for your willingness to protect us from people and things that would harm us.”