That Christ May Live through Me

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 
"Dying to Self"

 Author Unknown

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 it all in patient, loving silence,
that is dying to self.

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

Are you dead yet?

In these last days,
the Spirit would bring us to the cross.