Pride is a funny thing. The Bible says it comes before the fall. I always thought it was stubbornness and rejecting help. But I’ve learned it’s much more than that.

Pride is choosing to be a loner to prove a point. It’s ignoring set limits to show off and attain a superior level. Pride is a comparison and always seeking to rank higher. It’s forgetting that our bodies have warning signals, and powering through them because we can.

That last one hit hard. My body has been screaming at me for years. I saw pain as a mountain to climb, not a voice of protection. Even when I played sports as a kid, the old adage, “No pain, no gain,” was my motto.

But these last few years, I’m learning a new way. Two summers ago I realized I had been trusting in the strength of my body and determination of my mind more than the promises of God. Our bodies were made with a work and rest cycle built into our autonomic nervous system. God designed our brains to produce healing chemicals when we treat are bodies well and balance our busy with stillness.

So when my arm cramped when holding a two-pound pot and fake plant for twenty minutes, I paid attention. When my walk turned into more of a shuffle, I noticed. And when my mind struggled to focus and problem solve, I paused.

The old me would have powered through. Ignored the warnings. But this new version sat in the car and rested. The longer I sat, the more tired I became, until I could barely keep my eyes open. So, I rested some more. I wasn’t worried about using too much gas by letting the air blow on my face in the car. And I didn’t let my to-do list overpower my exhaustion. I assessed and listened to the needs of my body.

There was nothing I did that day to wear me out. To the outsider, the fatigue made no sense. But finally I understood. Stress to our body builds and turns into fatigue. Physical. Mental. Emotional. It doesn’t matter which of these the stress is from, our body can only take so much before it begins telling us to stop. Be still. Slow down. Rest. So, after a super stressful two weeks, I chose to listen to my body.

I came home and left chores undone. I sat in my recliner, closed the curtains, turned on the heating pad, and chose stillness. After a few hours, my body got better. My mind became clearer. And I was able to finish some things I’d started earlier in the day.

The older I get, the more I choose to listen to my body. I’m done pushing through pain and looking past the warnings. Balance is such a better place than remaining broken down from overuse due to pride.

How about you? Are you listening to the needs of your body? Or have you let pride lead the charge?