Could a slowing metabolism be a good thing?

Do you have a list of questions for God?    Have you ever wanted to ask Him if mosquitoes were really a necessary part of creation?  Is humidity a result of the fall?   How many times have you asked God why the righteous often suffer more than the unrighteous in this life?  Isn’t there an easier way to refine a person than through pain and suffering?

Scientists and philosophers have devoted their lives to answering the numerous questions we have about life as we know it and about the afterlife.  While God exalted mankind over all other creation by giving him the ability to reason, we cannot fully understand God’s ways and reasons.  

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Thinker

However, it can be fun or even helpful to seek out answers.  For years scientists assumed the appendix was a superfluous body part with no apparent purpose.  In October of 2007, however, scientists and immunologists from Duke University Medical Center published research indicating that the appendix actually produces and protects good bacteria for the gut.  When a disease such as cholera kills off or clears out the useful bacteria from the gut, the good bacteria stored in the appendix replenishes the gut and thereby reboots the digestive system.  Such discoveries point to an infinitely wise Creator.

Have you ever wondered why the human metabolism gradually starts slowing down when we reach our thirties and steadily declines with each passing year?  Is there any good reason for a gradually declining metabolism?    While only God knows the answer to such questions, for fun I sometimes making up my own amusing theories.

• Is it a coincidence that our metabolism begins slowing down at approximately the same time that facial lines begin appearing?   If the metabolism slow-down results in gaining a few extra pounds, then the extra weight will help stretch out the wrinkle lines to achieve a more youthful appearance.  So, my new strategy for looking younger is to take full advantage of the bottomless buffet that will be at my disposal 24 hours per day during our vacation.  My mother verified that extra fat does indeed diminish wrinkles lines, and she knows it’s true because she saw it on The Dr. Oz Show.  (smile!)

• With maturity comes wisdom.   We realize how fleeting life on earth can be, so we have a greater desire to savor each moment.  A slower metabolism enables us to slow down and enjoy life so that  we are better able to see those who hurt, offer a smile to those who are lonely, or simply notice the beauty of creation and stop long enough to smell the flowers. 

• A slower metabolism makes it easier to be still and know that He is God.   Our relationship with the Lord must be the most important focus of our lives.   When we slow down and sincerely seek Him, we see Him moving all about us and our faith grows deeper.  I have seen and experienced His profound protection over me, and I long to know Him more each day.  To know Him and His power, I must slow down. 

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

As the signs of aging continue to emanate in me, I am resolved to find a bright side!   Then, when Jesus takes me home, I can bask in His bright glory and ask for the real story!

If these reasons still aren't satisfactory, then we can reverse the metabolic slow down (and reduce our risk of osteoporosis) through resistance training.