Stealing from God

Scripture:
Is it not written (Is 56:7) My house shall be a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a robbers den (Mark 11:17 NASB)

Observation:
The money changers were taking advantage of the people that were coming to worship God. They were selling animals and likely asking a very high price for them. But perhaps much more importantly, they were stealing the sancity of the temple. By doing business in the temple they changed it from a special place for God to a regular place for business. How special is that?

After Jesus came, God no longer inhabits buildings, but His temple is now US. The Holy Spirit lives in us. We are the temple. Are we robbing His temple of its specialness? What kinds of things do we do that steal the specialness from the home of the Holy Spirit? Drugs, drinking, sexual sins, gluttony (being fat for no reason), refusing to exercise or take care of ourselves. Mental poisons, like junk TV, porn books and magazines, ungodly music, even hobbies that steal time away from Him. Why we do these things does not matter. The fact is that we are pouring poison into the temple everytime we do them.

Application:
We have to cut these things out of our lives. What 'I want' is not important anymore, its now 'what HE wants'. He does not want me to be overweight (a personal issue), he does not want me to be pouring poisonous TV into my life, he does not want me to read trash.
He wants me to be in shape and healthy so I heal fast. He wants me to put His word in my life to make me grow in His ways. I need to force myself to drop the things that are causing me pain and suffering. I need to lean on Him for the strength to do what I should instead of what I want.

Prayer:
Lord, You have blessed me so much by making me Your temple. I ask you Lord that you fill me with the desire to get rid of the things I should not have and the heart to get Your word in my life. Fill me Father with YOU and more and more of YOU in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!