DYING TO SELF
When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at nought, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,
then this is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed and when your advice disregarded or your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it in patient endurance and loving silence,
that is dying to self.
When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, even solitude, any interruption, as the will of God,
that, my brother, is dying to self.
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, any annoyance; when you stand face to face with waste and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensitivity and endure it as Jesus endured it,
that my sister, is dying to self.
When you no longer care to hear yourself in conversation, to record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown,
that’s dying to self.
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of lesser stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising in your heart,
that truly is dying to self.
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, or question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances,
that is indeed dying to self.
When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at nought, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult of the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,
then this is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed and when your advice disregarded or your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it in patient endurance and loving silence,
that is dying to self.
When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, even solitude, any interruption, as the will of God,
that, my brother, is dying to self.
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, any annoyance; when you stand face to face with waste and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensitivity and endure it as Jesus endured it,
that my sister, is dying to self.
When you no longer care to hear yourself in conversation, to record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown,
that’s dying to self.
When you can receive correction and reproof from one of lesser stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising in your heart,
that truly is dying to self.
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, or question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances,
that is indeed dying to self.
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