Increasing and Decreasing

It is much easier to gain weight than to lose it for most of us. For the lucky few, they can eat whatever they want and never exercise and still not add weight. Some of us gain weight even by chewing on a thought (Wayne Cordeiro-Dead Leader Running). I began my new fitness program this morning. I went for a ten minute jog this morning, interspersed with a 5 minute walk and some light exercises at my front door when I had returned from the jog. It was not easy waking up with the thought of physical exertion on my mind. My body has become accustomed to Gadaffi's pre-revolution treatment and this uprising of the muscles against the fat is not going down well with my overweight self.
I also noticed that my spiritual weight has gone down recently. I have been busy sharing the Word of God with others but not feeding my own spirit with the same Word. The effect of this imbalance is that others get enriched as I get depleted and the strange thing is that the spiritual weakness manifests itself in my physical life. I become poorer at judging situations and I react to events instead of responding to them in wisdom and afterthought. So as I rise early to jog, I do not return to the warm embrace of my bed covers, instead I seek light in the Scripture. I began Proverbs today with the one chapter a day method, so that I will have read through it by the end of the month. I continue still with the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostles (also known as the Acts of the Apostles).
By 10am, I had pretty much done all the stuff I normally postpone on my late mornings. I am a night person so I prefer to stay up late rather than to rise up early in the morning. However, I realize that rising early has more advantages than staying up late, King David must have had a point (Psalm 88:13). I am learning that the decrease of my spiritual strength leads to decrease in my capacity to fully function in the walk He has called me to. Not that I doubt His ability to keep me, but which parent wants a malnourished child? Reliance on God does not mean abdication of my responsibility to Him through obedience and a humble walk with Him.
Jehovah's witness ladies came to see me this morning as they did their rounds in our compound. They were very civil and to the point, but they also realized that I had a few opinions too, although I did my best to not sound condescending. When they come to your door, please don't chase them away, lovingly guide them to John 1:1, believe me, it makes ALL the difference.