Dying to Self

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely avoided, and you don't sting or hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ...That is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart and don't defend yourself, but take it all in silence...That is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear disorder, any irregularity, an impunctuality, or any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility...and endure it as Jesus endured it...That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any amount of money, any clothes, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God,...That is dying to self.

When you no longer care to hear yourself in conversation or to record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown, ...That is dying to self.

When you can see your Christian brother or sister prosper and have his or her needs met, and can honestly rejoice in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances,...That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly, as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart,...That is dying to self.

Are you dead yet? In these last days the Spirit would bring us to the cross, "That I may know Him..being made conformable to His death." Phil 3:10
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