Dying to Self

When you are neglected, forgotten or set aside on purpose and you have no hurt or anger about it; when you forgive others and refuse to consider your feeling or emotion, but instead choose to remain happy...

When the things you do with the best intentions are spoken of or taken wrongly, when your advice is disregarded and your opinions ridiculed, when your ideas are shot down and you refuse anger and unforgiveness in your heart or conversation, when you don't even try to defend yourself but take it all silently, patiently...

When you face disorder, irregularity, tardiness, and all other annoyances yet react with love an patience...

When you stand face to face with waste, foolishness, extravagance and spiritual insensibility and you endure...

When you are content in any society, comfortable in any company, content with any food, climate, clothing and interruption in your plans or life...

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversations, or desire praise for the things you do, or record the good words you say or want to be commended but would rather be unknown and unseen...

When you see another prospering and getting ahead, and are genuinely happy, rejoicing with him without envy or questioning God, especially when your own needs are far greater and your circumstances desperate...

When you are corrected, reproved or criticized and you accept these with no rebellion or resentment rising up in you; when you feel no hurt or anger and don't even defend yourself or your actions, but remain silent and walk in love...

When the things you want and desire most must be set aside to help or further another and you feel no hurt or disappointment...

When important or necessary things you had planned to do or accomplish must be laid aside to help someone else in need, when your own plans must wait because someone else needs help, encouragement or love and you do it without complaining...

When the things you are called to do seem beneath your station in life, and you do them with no thought of yourself, but with joy and love...

When someone deliberately embarasses or humiliates you in the presence of others and you forgive them immediately with no thought of revenge or retaliation, but rather overlook the situation saying nothing in return...

that is dying to self. He must increase, but "I" must decrease.