Marriner’s Moment: REnewing the Spirit, Soul and Body – Part 1

By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner
Grove Church

The past few weeks – and indeed the past several months – have been challenging, heartbreaking and trying for many. In addition to the ‘regular’ challenges of life, we have been bombarded with unprecedented animosity and divisiveness, as candidates vie for the highest office in our nation, lives have been lost at the hands of those paid to ‘protect and serve,’ and law enforcement officers – just doing their jobs – have been gunned down for no reason other than the color of their skin and the uniforms they wore. These events have taken their toll on many of us. We are weary and fatigued, hurt and frustrated … our spirit, soul and body are in need of renewal.

Just as God has made us stewards of our finances and resources, we are also stewards of our body (or temple). 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT) reads: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. To that end, we have a responsibility to take care of our spirit, soul and body.

I recently spent several months teaching a Bible Study series on the triune being – spirit, soul and body. The goal of this study was to explain how each part interacts and relates to the other. Briefly, the Spirit side of us relates to God. We relate to God through our communion or personal relationship with Him. Our soul relates to others – our mind, emotions and will. Finally, our body relates to those things around us, or our environment. That said, it is the Spirit – our connection to God – that should dominate, permeate and guide every area of our lives.

When one part – spirit, soul or body – is out of sync, there is an imbalance or disconnect. And, throughout this month’s series, it is my prayer that you make some time to renew, rest and rejuvenate your spirit, soul and body, so that you can give your best to God and others.
Peace and power.

© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
August 2016

We invite you to join us at Grove Church, 5910 West Norfolk Road, Portsmouth, Virginia, Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.