Somebody asked me the other day after I told them I had six packs- don’t laugh- whether I have ever counted them.
I responded by asking them whether actually a man having “six packs” was of eternal significance.
We both laughed through the banter but I still wouldn’t wrap my mind around the six pack thing.
I mean, of what eternal significance is a six pack?
Lest somebody starts goggling “six packs” now I will help, urban dictionary defines six packs as “well defined abdominal muscles in the configuration of a six pack of canned drinks”
We can simply explain the term as a masculine feature on a man’s tummy, often noted by some women’s day main celebrants as a good physical feature to look out for in a right kind of guy.
The entire thing got me thinking of a newspaper column I saw the other day titled “rich,handsome,loaded” the article talked about the things every woman look for in a man.
Followers of Christ know that we are ” outwardly perishing and inwardly being renewed ” (2 cor 4:16) yet these kinds of lists are not foreign to the Christian eye, the world is often peddling “dog faces”,“broad shoulders” and Tom Cruise looks as something to look out for in a man ahead of biblical convictions and character.
But why would we be surprised? Afterall scripture already says “man looks on the outside” (1 sam 16:7) besides, which girl doesn’t want to arrive at a birthday party with a David Beckham look alike?
We are surprised because life was never designed to be that way. The corruption of sin has reduced us to be externally focused. To value the perishable and undervalue the imperishable.
Reminds me of the lyrics from that “Switch foot“song titled “Gone”
“She said she would rather fix her makeup, than rather fix what’s going on”
True, true, we don’t all wear makeup yet that line describes us pretty well.
We care more about our physical appearance more than the posture of our hearts.
May be that’s the reason I was having that “six pack” conversation in the first place.
Lord have mercy! where is the eternal significance?
nice piece
Cheers bro,thanks-humbled,keep coming.
Eddie,
Great piece there.
Allow me to agree and disagree at the same time.
I think sometimes Christians get so lost in the things of God that they forget that they are living on earth. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and he expects you to take good care of it. Although this doesn’t translate into having a six pack, it also doesn’t give people the lee-way to just grow beer bellies without a care in the world!
So Christian brothers, taking care of yourself is an important aspect.
1 Timothy 4:8 says
“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come….”
Now, notice that the verse does not negate the need for exercise. although it states that exercise is valuable, it prioritizes exercise correctly by saying that godliness is of greater value. So we should balance the two! You cannot look like a forgotten race and then preach to another person!!
The apostle Paul also mentions physical training in illustrating spiritual truth in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. He equates the Christian life to a race we run to “get the prize.” But the prize we seek is an eternal crown that will not tarnish or fade. In 2 Timothy 2:5, Paul says, “Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.” Paul uses an athletic analogy again in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” While the focus of these Scriptures is not physical exercise, the fact that Paul uses athletic terminology to teach us spiritual truths indicates that Paul viewed physical exercise, and even competition, in a positive light. We are both physical and spiritual beings. While the spiritual aspect of our being is, biblically speaking, more important, we are to neglect neither the spiritual or physical aspects of our health.
However in all this, we should watch out for vanity; focusing more on our outward appearance rather than what is on the inside.
well stated Aliba,well balanced.
hehe