- No Title -
(Reflection - October 2000)
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
Then that is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed
And your advice disregarded or your opinions ridiculed
And you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself
But take it in patient endurance and loving silence
That is dying to self.
When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any
climate
Any society, even solitude, any interruption, as the will of God
That, my brother, is dying to self.
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity
Any unpunctuality, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face
With waste and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensitivity
And endure it as Jesus endured it
That, my sister, is dying to self.
When you no longer care to hear yourself in conversation
To record you own good works or itch after commendation
When you can truly love to be unknown
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 within your heart
That truly is dying to self.
When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met
And you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy or question God
While your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances
That indeed is dying to self.
From the Caribbean Pioneer