Learning to take care of Myself Series : 1

Exhausted, that is the word I am using this very late evening to describe myself. My life right now is full to the brim, things are so tight that I feel like I'm living in a sardine can. Today I had conversations with several important people in my life that led me to the above conclusion. I want to learn how to take care of myself once again. I don't want to complain, everyone has their burdens to carry however one must listen when one's body starts complaining. I am currently a student , a partime- store assistant, president to a campus fellowship, youth leader and a student representative. I am EXHAUSTED. At the beginning of the academic year  I planned to  quietly study whilst continuing to do the work I value most, the work of God. Due to unforeseen blows to my finances I  found myself looking for a job however the shift pattern is not convenient in any shape or form. I am an ambitious person, I want to do everything in my power to achieve my main goal, which is to become an individual who is capable of making lasting change  however such a busy lifestyle is starting to have a detrimental effect on my health.

My Turning point.
For the past 2 days though I slept enough I have woken up very tired, yesterday I left a lecture in such a daze and forced myself to work in the evening. My loved ones and acquaintances  have advised to a blood test however  I am very squeamish. Thank God I  know a very  patient nurse who understands my fears and puts me at ease, I must buy her some flowers next time I go to see her. I'm a fully grown adult and for someone who is also part of the health work force I know how annoying it is to have a person as squeamish as me walk through the doors, to top it off I have veins that dance about like Elvis Presley. 

Identifying the My issues
1) My diet is a mess - I met up with one of my friends today who told me that I  must stop eating the way I do and  though it may be time consuming and slightly more expensive to eat healthy I must give it a good go. At the end of our conversation we came to an agreement, I will send her pictures of my meals and confess if  I eat something she would not be proud of.

2) Something's gotta Give: I might have to take a break from being the youth leader, I am less effective in my current state but I still have to make peace with this idea. It is not sitting well with me at all ! I can't decide what to let go of.

I am starting a journey today, I have never consciously set out to take care of myself but as I age I don't want my bad habits to grow with me..

The problem with pride.

Pride is the slow devourer of man, it plants seeds of strife and arrogance within ones soul. It not only affects your relationship with others but affects your relationship with God.

Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit--O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.

God loves to see you and me humbled in his presence. Pride blinds us from seeing our own faults and makes us unable to love others as God loves us.
People tend to be ruthless when judging others, there's no room for consideration. But a friend told me today "I am a sinner,but the fact God woke me up today shows me that he still believes in me. He does not see me as my present but sees me as what I will become"

If God allows even your worst enemies to get up in the morning, it shows that he still loves them and you should too. Pride stops us from doing this, it eats away at any chance of empathy we could have for others. One of the most severe consequences of Pride is a weak prayer life.Instead of humbling ourselves in prayer and asking for God's guidance we would rather do things on our own and only consider God When things get really messy.

proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It really  isn't useful for any christian   to be arrogant or full of Pride. It only leads us to fall, we Christians need to uplift and encourage one another.

On a final note: my personal experience with pride
I'm a very logical person  and I think things should be done a certain way so that God will be pleased with you. That's my pride. The bible teaches that nothing you do will ever win you a place with God ... Jesus has done that. He is the final and only acceptable sacrifice. So how do I deal with this.. I humble myself in prayer. Pride is the a problem mankind struggles with, it is pride that make us think that we should be treated a certain way by people.when we are treated any differently we are flummoxed and slowly we become angry and bitter.
I'm drawing from personal experience, but I pray for anyone else who may struggle with pride. Let's free
 ourselves  from its chains and live in the freedom available to us through Christ .