April 2017 - God First

Dying to Self

Dying to Self - Author Unknown
Healthy Heart Challenge

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 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 disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, your best intentions misinterpreted, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but rather take it all in patient, loving silence, knowing that Christ alone is your defender, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you patiently bear annoyance, disorder, inconvenience, irregularity, and even impunctuality from others; when you feel your time has been wasted and you’ve been treated harshly and unfairly and yet you still respond in love, maintaining your peace, and enduring these things with meekness as Jesus endured, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you are unruffled with less than desirable accommodations, uncomplaining with meager food, difficult climates, re-arranged travel schedules, when you maintain cheerfulness even though others are grumpy, when you are loving, kind, and attentive even to those who can do you no benefit by their association, when you remain calm despite interruptions to your agenda and plans by the will of God, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you don’t care to refer to yourself in conversation, when you don’t feel the need to boast of your accomplishments and record every good deed you do for the world to see, when you don’t itch after commendation and applause, when you don’t mind when others are acknowledged and your name is ignored, when you’re more concerned with being faithful to God’s call, when you are okay to be unknown, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you see your brother prospering, when you see him succeeding with a project that you contributed to, and yet you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit, being happy to remain behind the scenes, not questioning God, but being grateful that the work is being accomplished so that God is glorified, 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.

In these last days, the Spirit must bring us to the Cross if we would be saved. And once we die on the Cross, we will not respond to any slights against our human flesh any longer, because dead people don’t move.

“The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you—your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, [your years of service, your accomplishments, your degrees, your intellect], your anything—then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it [as God intended].” – Ian Thomas

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Phil.3:10

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Gal. 2:20

Published by permission from General Conference Ministerial Association and Revival and Reformation Committee - https://cdn.ministerialassociation.org/docs/2017-N...

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