During your lifetime, remember to count yourself.

I was once listening to a man who had given the best years of his life to everything and everybody. He was sitting alone in a corner, with wrinkles showing on his face, and deep black eyes marking a sense of void in his life.

He pronounced these words, that I will never forget:

' I gave my all,I uplifted many, I dedicated myself to all and now I have nothing sparred for myself.'

Listening to the pitiful words coming out of this old man's mouth reminded me of something:

' Don't give beyond your means.'

At first, it might sound extremely selfish but it's not. And I will prove it to you.

Sometimes we think that placing every one and everything above ourselves beyond measure is really heroic, while it is not. Giving your life energy towards other people is noble but you should also keep some of that energy for yourself. Counting everyone but counting yourself out is a very stupid thing to do.

After studying several verses from the Bible, I came to realize that a totally selfless life is not supported by the Bible. These are my three reasons:

1. In the book of Malachi, the principle of Tithes offerings only requires 10% of your income. God knows that you have needs  to fulfill that's why you will have 90% of the remaining income for yourself. Whenever someone decides to give beyond the 10% mark, he/she should do it under the Holy Ghost personal conviction.

Any one can afford 10%. Trust me on that. I just know.

Therefore, there will always be something left for you.

2. Jesus said :' Seek the Kingdom first and his righteousness, and all those things shall be added to you' (Matthew 6:33)

If you give yourself to the life of the Kingdom, God will take care of your needs. Therefore, there will be riches sparred for you as well.

3. In the book of  John 10:17-18, Jesus says: ' Therefore does my Father loves me,because I lay down my soul that I might take it again. No man takes it from me,but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received of my Father.'

God had already commanded Jesus to take back His life after death. Taking His life back from death, was an agreement between Him and His Father. God already sparred something for Jesus, before sending Him on Earth. 

Even though Jesus gave His life, he did not give the 'power of His Resurrection' away but kept it for Himself. Remember that.

So what do those three points say to you and me?

'Stop giving beyond what you can't afford,  always keep something for you and never count yourself out.'

Some people gave the best of their years to the wrong occupation, while forgetting to spare some for the right occupation. Some people spent all their life energy to enrich an exploiting man, while forgetting to spare their own energy to enrich themselves. Some people gave their focus away to uplift everyone but along the way, they forgot their own self.

After careful research, I stumbled upon the lives of illustrious individuals who gave it all to others, but ended in misery. After enriching many, they died indebted,alone and forsaken.

'Is it really fair?'

I am not saying that we should not help or serve others. On the contrary, serving other people is very important to our purpose. 

This is the moral of my post:

-When you are helping others, make sure that you did help yourself as well.

-When you are counting the people you help, count yourself as well.

-When you are giving your life energy away to enrich someone (a boss or a company), make sure that some of your energy enriches you as well. If you are working for a company that gets richer day by day, while the salary they offer can't allow to spare some money, then you should get another job!

-While you might be busy giving the best years of your existence to a wrong occupation or career, make sure to spare some of those years for your dream life.

You must give and serve. But you should know where the limit is. Don't cross the line where you forget yourself.

Those who end with nothing after 'saving the world', are the guys who have given beyond their means.

Open your eyes, because there a jobs,people and wrong activities that will suck your blood beyond measure until you have nothing to spare. What you spare for yourself belongs to you.

When you can't give anymore, just say:

'I am sorry , I can't help, this is going beyond my means.'

And if you want to feel better, refer those people to someone who might be willing to help.