Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Morning Meditations: "BODY LANGUAGE"

Today's Meditation: "Beloved, I pray above all things that you would prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers..." 3John Verse 2

The Lord is vitally concerned about our bodies. It is His will that we maintain divine health in our bodies. However, this divine health cannot have its full measure of abundance in our lives without first having the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that we need to change the way we THINK. Personally, there have been countless times and seasons in my life that I've had to do an "extreme make-over" in my thought life, attitude, and physical appearance in order to line-up with the Path and direction God was leading me. Once I knew the Lord, and felt compelled to learn from His teachings, it became my life's goal to live out the scripture which implores Believers to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is our reasonable service; and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Rom. 12:1-2)

Once we have a renewed mind concerning the prosperity of our physical and spiritual bodies, we will be able to win the war against poor health habits, harm, and dysfunction to our bodies. Due to the nature of ministry (preaching/teaching/music/outreach), the minister is always positioned before the people of God. This is particularly true of the liturgical dancer. What a tremendous responsibility to uphold! For many of us, Dance is ministry...but it is also PRESENTATION. Without delving deep into the world's stereotypical profile of a dancer--i.e. petite, slim, small-breasted females; or well-toned, muscular males; I will say that I truly believe that sacred dancers who are both anointed and skilled can be highly effective in all shapes, sizes, colors, and cultures. Yet, I also believe that we must make strong efforts to uphold a standard of good health, fitness, overall emotional stability and welness.

In Genesis 1:26, God said: "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth, and subdue it..."

When God says "them" He is speaking all-inclusively of the male & female 'spirit-being'. This 'spirit-being' which God named "Adam" did not truly take form and manifest until God gave him a BODY. This body, or outer garment is our Earth Suit--it is what gives us the authority to subdue, rule, and have rightful dominion in the Earth. Therefore, we must strive to be victorious in the battle to keep our bodies, souls, and spirits healthy and holy unto God. When the body and soul are not experiencing their full capacity of prosperity in the way they were created to, we are at risk to becoming unproductive, uncreative, unnecessary, and irrelevant. When an individual intentionally ceases to contribute to their God-given purpose here on Earth, they are unwittingly relinquishing their RIGHT to have dominion. And where there is no dominion, death is nearby.

Sacred Dancers: Our bodies are both our instruments and our weapons--they SPEAK and DEFEND multitudes--seen and unseen! Question: Is it time that you allow your Body Temple to speak a New Word about you and the Ministry you bring forth to God's people?

Gently stated, sacred dance is at first a visual art; yet when experienced through the holiness of God, has the power to encompass all our senses! We must stop forfeiting our dominion, credibility, and HEALTH by the active participation and over indulgence in ungodly practices of over-eating, under-eating, chemical dependencies, drug and alcohol abuse, lack of exercise and personal hygiene, sexual perversion, and negligence in the Word. Our Bodies are Speaking!
How will the Ministry go to the Nations if we are too hung-over to preach? How can the Dance be delivered with power and authority if we are too out of breathe to complete the first verse? How will our gift make room for us in the presence of Kings, Queens, Presidents, and Prime Ministers when our attire remains offensive/distracting/inappropriate upon arrival? What glory does the Lord get from that?

Remember: Our physical, emotional, and spiritual deliverance will be based upon the wise decisions we make in our obedience to God, our attitude of praise, and just plain common sense. The opportunity to serve in ministry is a call, a privilege, a JOY, and an honor---We make the choice to be in front of hundreds or thousands of people regularly, thus opening ourselves up to all manner of critique. Leaders, Our Bodies are Speaking! Do you or your ministry need to declare a new health regimine during a 21 Day Fast or Re-Dedication? Will you be willing to take an honest look at self and the needs of your people as it relates to unhealthy practices, or will you remain silent?

"Holy Father, show us your universal language of love as we advance your Kingdom agenda. Let our divine Body Language be a refreshing breeze to all who encounter us today and always."
Selah. Amen.

----Rev. Stephanie
www.spiritofpraiseinternational.com




2 comments:

  1. Wow! Thank you Jesus for speaking through your vessel who truly is speaking to me and my situation! To God be the Glory! It's tight but its RIGHT! Rev. Butler, What a Blessing! :-)

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  2. Thank you for speaking life to us, and allowing God to truly use you according to His will. Be blessed!!!

    Mrs.Willis

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