You Are Not Your Own

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:19–20

There’s something in us that clings fiercely to the idea of ownership — especially when it comes to ourselves. We like to think, “My life, my body, my choices.” But Paul’s words here gently — and firmly — dismantle that notion for the believer.

When we came to Christ, we didn’t just add Him to our lives as an accessory. We surrendered the deed to our very selves. The life that once belonged solely to us now belongs to Him. Paul says it plainly: “You are not your own.”

And why? Because “you were bought at a price.” Not with coins or contracts, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Peter echoes this truth: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). The cost of our redemption was the life of the Son of God — a price so high it exposes the depth of His love and the immensity of our worth to Him.

I know this in a way I will never forget. Years ago, I reached a point where life’s pain felt unbearable, and I tried to end my own life. But in that moment — when darkness should have swallowed me — Jesus intervened. I was pulled back from the edge of death, not by my own strength, but by His. That day became the turning point when I gave Him my full commitment. I had tried to claim my life as mine to throw away, but He reminded me that it already belonged to Him. He had paid for me, and He wasn’t letting go.

This truth changes how we see ourselves. We’re no longer self-made, self-owned, or self-directed. Our value isn’t defined by the shifting opinions of the world or by the weight of our past mistakes. We are defined by the One who purchased us — and His price tag says we are worth everything to Him.

It also changes how we live. Paul connects the truth of our purchased life with a call to action: “Therefore honor God with your bodies.” This means our decisions — from how we treat others, to how we care for our health, to how we handle temptation — are not simply personal matters anymore. They are acts of stewardship. They are ways of saying to God, “I belong to You, and I want my life to reflect that.”

This isn’t about living under a heavy set of rules; it’s about gratitude. We honor God not because we’re afraid He’ll take back what He gave us, but because we remember what it cost Him to make us His own — and in my case, because I know firsthand what it means for Him to reach into the pit and pull me back to life.

So today, when you face choices — big or small — remember: You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Live in a way that shows the world the worth of the One who paid for you.

Addendum:
And now, as I walk through the reality of failing kidneys, I face another choice — one that the world might see as purely medical, but I see as spiritual. At my age, a transplant is unlikely, and I have chosen not to pursue dialysis. This is not a decision made in despair, but in surrender. If I truly belong to Him, then even the span of my days is not mine to determine. My prayer is simply this: “Lord, my life is Yours. Whether in living or in dying, let me honor You.”