It's time to clean.

It's time to clean up the place that your soul dwells. It's time to clean up your temple.

Did you know that your body is the temple of God? According to 1 Corinthians 3:15-16, it is! Isn't it amazing that God and the Holy Spirit love us enough that they choose to live and reside in us when we become followers of Jesus?

The bible tells us that the temple of God is holy and sacred. Knowing this makes me feel like I need to continuously evaluate my life to make sure that I am keeping my temple clean. I need to do this because Jesus is living there, and I want Him to feel welcome and wanted. And I also know that He will not stay in a place that is not holy. I know that I cannot be perfect, but if God wants to reside in a place that is holy, and if I want God to reside in me, then I better keep it clean.

Maybe you're wondering how to keep your temple clean. To do this, you have to guard that gates to your heart. You must guard what goes in the temple and what goes out.

First, you must guard your eyes. What kind of movies do you watch? What images and videos do you look at on your phone? Is it something God would consider holy? If not, maybe it is time to reconsider what you allow yourself to see. At my house, we have all decided not to watch pg-13 or R-rated movies unless they are biblically themed. I am not saying that you are wrong if you don't have the same convictions that we do, but it is important to set some boundaries for yourself and stick to them. I believe God delights in a person who chooses to guard their eyes, and, in doing so, it will make your temple a more holy place.

Next, you have to guard the mouth. Ephesians 4:29 says pretty much covers it all. The amplified version says, "Do not let wholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only speech that is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear you speak." This rules out cursing, gossiping and speaking negatively. I have never struggled with cursing, but gossiping just seems so hard to avoid. This is something I am working on at the moment, because I've realized talking about people does not build them up, and it sure doesn't make me feel better about myself.

You also have to guard your ears. When I went through a hard time a few years ago, I started listening to only Christian music in my car. Those songs gave me a great feeling of encouragement, peace, and comfort that no country song could ever offer me. I have decided to not listen to songs that send my mind to a place that it should not be because I have decided to guard my ears.

I also believe you should dress appropriately and wear modest clothing. If God lives inside of you, the world should be able to tell by they way you dress the temple of God. The way you dress is a reflection of who lives inside of you.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [those who use words as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.

I felt the need to write this article because I, myself, needed this reminder. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what the world says is an acceptable way to live that we forgot what God expects from us. Every single thing you do reflects the One who resides inside your heart, and God wants us to try our very best to live righteous and pure lives. And, I believe, the best way to do that is to protect your temple. Be careful about what you allow inside your mind and heart. And if you're like me and realize there may be a few things you need to work on, then do some cleaning. Clean up your temple, and get rid of anything that is dirty.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Sourit who is within you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own property? You were bought with a price. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-2