dying

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 in all in patient,

loving silence, that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity,

any impunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste,

folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility -- and endure it as Jesus

endured, that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any

society, any raiment, 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,

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.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me,

let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever

desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My

sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)