Daily Devotional

Permit me to share another reading that has changed my thinking over the years. I hope it helps you as much as it continues to help me. It is entitled: “Dying to Self”.

• When you are forgiven or neglected or purposely set at naught and you sting and you hurt with the insult or the oversight but your heart is still 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 is disregarded; your opinions are ridiculed and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even refuse to defend yourself but you 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 and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensibility and you can endure it as Jesus endured it - THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

• And when you are content with any food, and any offering, and any raiment, and any climate, and any house, and any society, and any solitude and any interruption by the will of God - THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

• And when you never care to refer to yourself in a conversation or to record your own good works, or to itch after commendation and when you can truly love to be unknown - THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

• And when you see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God while your own needs are far greater and in more desperate circumstances - THAT IS DYING TO SELF!

• And when you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly finding no rebellion and no resentment rising in your heart - THAT IS DYING TO SELF!