ARE
YOU DEAD YET?
Are You
Dead Yet?
An odd sounding question at first until we realize what
is meant by it....
Many
folks do not realize that we must DIE TO SELF in
order to GROW!
Now let's
do a little soul searching to see if we truly know what it means
to "die to self":
When you
are forgotten or neglected
and you don't hurt with insult,
but your heart is happy,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: Our
family is "different". We are so radically different than
those "in the world" that we are often forgotten or insulted
by others. Before I learned to to "die to self", I would
spend many a day feeling hurt and my heart was certainly not happy.
I have learned over the years that in order to truly follow Christ,
we would most likely experience daily crosses. If we can embrace
these crosses, we will be "dying to self" and will have
a happy heart! Of course, the world does not understand this and
we need to be an example :-).
When
your advice is disregarded
your opinions ridiculed, and you
refuse to let anger rise in your heart,
and take it all in patient, loving silence,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: Not
many folks like to take advice from folks who have 11 children,
home educate and are what they term "religious fanatics".
So, we've learned this one fairly well! It's not easy and we must
constantly check ourselves for anger and remember that loving silence
is the best remedy.
When
you lovingly and patiently bear disorder,
irregularity, unpunctuality, and annoyance...
and endure it as Jesus endured it,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: Sleepless
nights, potty training and all things associated with parenting
came to mind
.
When you have children, this is the first place you need to "die
to self"! I'm glad to report my children are working with me
on this one!
When
you never care to refer to yourself in
conversation or record your own good works,
or itch for praise after an accomplishment,
when you can truly love to be unknown,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: There
are days I think I have this one conquered, but it is a continual
process. The evil one likes to creep in and say "Hey, that
was quite an accomplishment and good work...let's make some noise
about it!" To that I must always reply "Jesus is the only
one who needs to know and HE already does! So there!"
When
you can see your brother or sister
prosper and can honestly rejoice with them,
and feel no envy even though your needs
are greater,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: I
thought I did not have a problem with this as I truly did rejoice
when my siblings or friends prospered! In fact, I was thrilled for
them! I was ready to pat myself on the back for actually having
something I didn't need to "work on". WRONG! Just before
I could rejoice in thinking I truly had no envy, it hit me. I WAS
envious when folks who had hurt me or my family, prospered. So,
come to find out I needed a little work (okay, a lot of work!).
When
you are content with any food,
any offering, any raiment, any climate,
any society,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: The
words "cold coffee" and "rainy days" came to
my mind when I first read this. I think we can all relate. I'm trying
to make an effort to rejoice irregardless of the above situations.
It's hard, very hard....but..what an example for our children and
the rest of the world! Truly dying to self is no easy task!
When
you can take correction, when you can
humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly,
with no rebellion or resentment rising up
within your heart,
THAT IS DYING TO SELF.
My
comment: This
is probably the hardest one for me! I'm a "work" in process
and will continue to be.
In
Luke 9:23-25 we find the reason WHY we must DIE
to SELF!
Jesus states: "If anyone wishes to come after Me and be my
disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow
Me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it, and whoever
shall lose his life for My sake will save it. For
what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the
loss of his
immortal soul."
Now
that we know WHY we need to "die to self", let us ask
Jesus to help us!
Please, pray for us as we promise to keep all who visit this page
in our daily prayers.
"Those
Who believe in me, even though they die, will live."
- John 11:25
May
God bless you all! Wendy
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