Not in My House

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.                                               1 Corinthians 3:16-17 

     The common term in basketball for a hard block is a “pack.” In fact, in a basketball game, one of the biggest “Ooooh” moments happens when someone blocks a shot. It’s not the type of block where a player gets the tip of his finger on the ball and alters the shot. The “Oooh” is drawn from the throats of the crowd when a defender smacks the ball away with his whole hand, and the sound is so loud that it instantly grabs everyone’s attention. Unfortunately, I had it happen to me in a game once. I was going up for a layup, and I never saw the defender coming. He hit the ball so hard that it smacked the wall almost as loudly as it did when he had smacked the ball out of my hands. That defender packed me very hard that day. Certain players – thankfully it wasn’t the guy who packed me – will wag their fingers in the face of the player they just packed and arrogantly say, “Not in my house!” What they mean is, “This court belongs to me; don’t you bring that ball up in here!” While humility is advised, it is usually funny to see someone make such a demand.

     Christianity certainly needs more young men to stand up and say, “Not in my house!” Oh, not because they blocked someone’s basketball shot, but because their lives are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and they will not allow certain things into it. We need young men to stand up and say they will not allow the wrong kind of music into their ears. We need young men will not allow wicked movies, questionable things on the internet, or pornography through their eyes to be burned into their memory banks. We need young men to determine they will never drink alcohol, smoke, or take drugs. Your body is the temple of God, a house for your soul. Allowing those things into your life defiles the very place where the Holy Ghost lives inside you.

     A basketball player who makes a big block gets fired up; he gets excited to play harder and do it again. Usually, he inspires his team to play tougher defense, as well. Often, that can change the momentum and the outcome of the game. A young man who determines he is going to do right will inspire himself to continue in the direction he is going. He will get others around him excited about doing right, and his counselors will be encouraged to continue doing what they do, as well. A young man who blocks things from his life and humbly says, “Not in my house!” is an inspiration to others and a vital part of a winning team.

Quote of the day: “We can only know God well by knowing our iniquities…Those who have know God without knowing their wretchedness have not glorified Him, but glorified themselves.  – Blaise Pascal