Luke 17:33  Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

Tonight I am going to post something that has impacted my life for years.   It’s not original to me but I hope that it is as inspirational for you as it has been for me.  This is one of the most impacting things I’ve ever read.  It was given to me years ago by a pastor of mine and wish that I knew to whom I should credit it but alas, I will just thank God for it.   I hope it helps you, too.

DYING TO SELF

When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting and 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, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence,….  that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus did…  that is dying to self. 

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God….  that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good works or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown…..  that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God, when your own needs are far greater and you are 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 days let us pray that the Spirit would bring us to the cross.  “That I may know Him ….. being made conformable to His death.”

Take away:    We all fall short of where God wants us to be and that’s ok.    The more we surrender to Him, the more like Him we become.  Let us walk together in this life, encouraging each other to die to ourselves and then, in the ultimate paradox, know what true life is.

Prayer:  Father, please lead me to die to self and to live in you.   You are where peace is, you are where love is, you are where true life is and I need you.  I want you to lead me.   I love you.