You die to self when…
I shared these examples of how we might have to die to self in everyday life as part of my message here.
These are just some of my thoughts on ways in which we can all choose to die to self in 100s of ways every day, to help us to love others in a self-emptying and self-sacrificial way.
- You die to self in love when you hurt someone who has hurt you and you can apologise without excuse, and even when they refuse to apologise to you
- You die to self in love when a person has annoyed you again and you want to make a sarcastic or cutting remark, but you say nothing and bless and encourage them instead
- You die to self when you choose to speak well of the person who has slandered you
- You die to self when you have been misrepresented and maligned but you choose not to try to vindicate or defend yourself but trust in God and stay in peace
- You die to self when you have given richly or served sacrificially but you choose never to let anyone know about it, because you do this for an audience of one
- You die to self when someone deeply offends you but you make a positive choice to overlook it and find ways to actually bless the person who offends you
- Equally, you may have to die to self by choosing to have an uncomfortable, honest conversation with a person who has offended you even though everything inside you wants to avoid it, and you determine that you are going to keep your love on no matter how they respond or react
- You die to self when you feel anger rising up inside you but you choose to control it and answer with gentleness and respect
- You die to self every time you choose to do the right thing when it would be so much easier not to, and it is going to cost you to do so
- You die to self every time you choose not to participate in the usual gossip
- You die to self when you don’t need to win every argument.
- You die to self when you are convinced of something but don’t have to batter people into submission (to show you are right
- You die to self when you are overlooked for that promotion but you choose to rejoice in the one who succeeded
Why not consider for yourself some of the ways you can die to self. Finish this sentence in as many ways as you feel are relvant to you right now.
- I die to self when…
There is a PDF version of this here,