Now, there have been other names throughout history (even recent history) for keeping the body in good running order, but for simplicity's sake I will call it either physical training or bodybuilding here. All physical training means is... physically training yourself. Your body, keeping it running good and all that stuff. There can be different extents (keeping the belly off for a desk job to being an Olympic athlete), but the same basic principle. Same thing with bodybuilding, it simply means building a better body, inside and out. Not a bigger one, per se, but a better one; meaning healthier, faster, stronger, more energy, etc.
Let's go back to the beginning. You should know what I mean if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time. Back to the very beginning.
A quick warning. This will be a rant of sorts, and I'm not entirely sure where I'll end up. I have several points I want to make, but they are along different paths. Just keep reading and see what happens. This is how I think when I am out pondering things.
Okay, in the beginning the Creator... created... creation. Seems kinda obvious, but there are still people out there who can't see it (not gonna get started on here). During the creation week, man was made it the image of the Creator Himself. This Creator was perfect, and His creation up to this point (before the fall) was perfect as well. So naturally, the man He created in His image would be perfect. Perfect in mind and body. I believe I have discussed a bit about the mind in other posts, now for the body. 6,000 years ago, the average man (and women) actually looked good. Even after the fall.
If you've read my first post, you should have read about how everything ran much more efficiently in the past (I mentioned it in other posts as well I believe). Also, since we had the proper nutrients from our food, we were likely in very good condition all the time. We also likely did a little bit more physical jobs as well (the understatement of several millennium possibly). Since our genetics were also better, and had more protection from outer space, and better atmosphere, and many other reasons, our bodies would be much more fit. Here is a picture from the Greeks, thousands of years after the time period I'm talking about:
Not huge or anything, but still looks very strong and healthy. If the Greeks could get the idea, why can't we now? The point I'm trying to make right now? I'm not sure, I got three of them stuck in my head and they are competing for room here. I can only talk about one, maybe two. So... I'll choose to talk about vanity and how the Almighty has been removed from cultures view of the body (yes, those are both one point).
My fist section, talking about vanity, is the biggest part of the rant I might have on this post. It deals with the fact that many people assume if you care about taking care of your body (exercising, healthy diet, etc.) it means you are vain. If you are being vain, it means you are therefore sinning. My response to people who think this (one of many responses) is "so it is better to let our bodies waste away? That is how we should treat the temple of the Lord". Of course, we don't want to focus completely on the temple and forget the Lord of the temple, but my point stands.
The reason I'm discussing this is the fact that I've been told by many Christians that I shouldn't think about my body so much, that I was created this way for a reason, and I should accept myself the way I am. And honestly, I'm a little sick of that answer. I personally see it as a weak person justifying why they are either underweight or overweight (amongst many other health related things). I've been told different variations of that, to different extents, and I am tired of it. Now I must confess, in the past I often did put bodybuilding ahead of the Creator, but many things happened and now the Creator is such a higher priority now that I am actually falling behind on training. So I've gotten past that phase. No one can pull that trick off on me anymore.
That "vanity" excuse is one reason, I believe, why Christians today are in such poor health. Yes, many are very happy and because of the joy within, they have lots of energy and such, but why let that compensate for poor physical lifestyle? I say it is better to have the Almighty give you power from within, as you take care of the body He fuels, and take care of the mind that controls it all. Pretty much, have a strong body, mind and soul.
Instead, people choose to rely completely on the Almighty in a bad way. He can take care of our bodies for us, and keep them in perfect running order, but He has chosen to give that responsibility to us. Others just can't seem to see that. Yes, the Creator made us the way we are. And you know what that means? It means we were made to adapt, whether that be for good or bad. So if you never exercise, eat crap food, and think just taking care of your mind and soul will do you good, well, you're only partially right. Sure, you'll go to Heaven, but probably prematurely. If you live like that, you're body will adjust and become weak and frail.
However, if you choose to train your body, give it time to rest, and feed it properly, guess what? Your body will adjust to become stronger, healthier and more athletic. How does this happen? The Almighty made you this way.
I personally believe that the way Christians disregard their bodies today is a poor representation of Christ. In the Bible, Christ's physical condition was never mentioned except in cases where He fasted or was beaten, and that's because in the end, it doesn't matter. However, do you really think He was given a weak body? Or that He didn't take care of it? Do you really think man was originally made in such horrid shape if we were made in the image of the Almighty, Perfect Creator? So then why, I ask, do we choose to take such poor care of our bodies, whether or not we are taking good care of our minds and souls? A man functions best when all three parts, mind, soul and body, are in top working order.
So, why has this happened? Because, slowly but surely, the Creator has been taken out of physical training. Now, it has become a money game by large corporations, and by ordinary people a matter of "just accept yourself the way you are". Now, if you can't be accepted into Heaven the way you are (or were if you accepted Christ), and have (had) to change, why should we just let our bodies rot away however they please? We have been given the knowledge to do otherwise! But no, most of that knowledge has been distorted. Just as our concept of food has been warped and has had the Creator taken out of it, so has our knowledge of training.
As I said, the corporations have made it a money game. They have made things much more complicated then they really are, in an attempt to confuse people and make them believe they must buy stuff to be fit. Supplements, pills, pre-made meals, fancy machines, special workout clothes, pretty gyms, steroids, boring cardio, etc, etc, etc.... NO! All you need is the ground and the food you can acquire yourself from nature, minimum. From there you can use rocks, logs, climbing things, swimming, or even start making tools such as metal man made weights. There are several very basic, very effective and very simple ways of staying in good health.
Another thing. We are being lied to that it is easy to have good health, well, it's not! We are being told being healthy is complicated, it's not! Being healthy is simple and hard. That's the truth. Just as with our souls, either you are perfect or you are not. Either you are going to Heaven or to Hell. Simple. Dead simple. Health is no more complicated. Us, as humans, have made it complicated. Same thing with these "religions" we keep making up.
So if you want a healthy body but don't want to work for it or change your lifestyle, well guess what? You are going to stay in the same condition you're in, or just get worse! Choosing to go to Heaven is easy, but your time on earth is not, same with health. Choosing to be healthy is easy, but the time spent doing it is not! Ah, hypocrites! You encourage people to change their lives to live for the Creator, yet you ignore our God given responsibility it take care of ourselves! We were given the earth and the creatures to take care of, and we put so much time and effort into that, but before we had that responsibility, we had our own bodies!
I'm going to pull back here, because I'm on the edge of a screaming rant. I am really disgusted by the way we have let our bodies, which were fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator, rot away. Yes, they have been cursed to die, but it doesn't mean we just take it lying down (pun intended). Just as our morals have rotted away, our bodies have as well. We have degenerated so much since creation, it is appalling. Our health is only one small aspect!
That is all for now. I lost my original points, but I did express my inner thoughts, no holds barred. That's what this blog is for.
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