Maintaining

1 Corinthians 3:17, "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred. And you are that temple." NIV

Every Sunday, my family and I pass these buildings pictured in the photos. Driving through the Mississippi Delta has always been intriguing to me for many different reasons, mainly images such as these. Sprawling southern plantations, miles of crops, very few bends in the road, and abandoned buildings largely make up the landscape. You never know what's coming up next.

But the intrigue of these two buildings captivated me for months. Finally, one day, we stopped to take a photo. Every time we would pass the buildings, I wondered what could've happened. The barn surely was at one time alive with activity. I could only imagine what kind of animals this barn could've housed, providing shelter and safety from the elements. And what happened to this building below? Someone surely spent a lot of money constructing the frame of this building, with aspirations of a profitable business. But somewhere along the line, both structures faced abandon. The reasons? One can only speculate. The barn just simply wasn't maintained. As one can visibly see, it's obviously been left to itself for quite some time, judging by the height of the debris that's grown around it. The metal building? Maybe the owner ran out of money...there just simply wasn't enough to finish the job?

I can only imagine what could've been. I love old barns. If the rotting wood could've simply been replaced, and if the land around it could've been maintained, it could still be a viable shelter for farm animals. If the metal building could've been completed, it could've been a sustainable business, providing options and jobs for locals, and providing a great income for the owners.

Either way, their journey wasn't complete. The barn and the metal building are both still standing...but they're in bad shape.

Paul writes in this section of Corinthians again about how we are God's temple. And he speaks also about the Corinthians' lack of maturity. He starts them off "with milk," but still, they haven't grown to the point where they can receive the more solid "food" of the Word. They are still babes, having not grown past the infant stage. Here in this chapter, Paul continues on that just because time has passed, doesn't mean that they've grown in their spiritual maturity, and they haven't grown in wisdom. But in verse, 16-17, he reiterates that as the temple of God, meaning God lives in them, they are to care for themselves spiritually, seeking to grow in maturity, and to grow in wisdom. Therefore, they can't stop where they are! They must press on. Their journey isn't complete. No matter what...their journey isn't ever complete.

Likewise, in our physical journeys, we're never done. I know that's not fun to hear. When I was in the process of losing 90 pounds, all I could think about was my goal number. I naively thought that when I reached that goal, everything would be so much easier. Oh, but it isn't. I'm not trying to be a downer, but it's the truth. Once we reach the goal, we have to maintain it.

Think about the barn pictured above. I'm sure when it was newly constructed, it was beautiful, strong, and lovely to see from the road. But over the years, the neglect took it over. The metal building never really got completed. The owners just stopped somewhere along the way. And look at it now.

Whether we're in the middle of a journey to become healthier than we are at the moment, or whether we've reached our goal and are now maintaining, we can't stop! We must press on.

Where are you? Are you in the middle of a journey, struggling with the attitude of complacency? Or have you reached your goal and are now struck with the realization that maintaining is just as hard as losing it to begin with?Let me reassure you that it's worth it. As someone who has struggled with both concepts, I can reassure you again...it's worth it!

Where are you spiritually? Have you become complacent? Press in to Him. It's worth it!

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