Sunday, July 09, 2006

Dying To Self/Others May,You Cannot

I've been really busy here.Too busy to write something original.The following are two writings that have challenged,inspired,blessed and even convicted me for a few years now.I hope you enjoy.I do not know who wrote them...
Blessings & Love,Sharon

DYING TO SELF
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 in all in patient, loving silence.
THAT IS DYING TO SELF
When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, 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.
"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Phil.3:10
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OTHERS MAY YOU CANNOT !
If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.
Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.
The lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be his love slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.
Settle it forever, then, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He must have the right to tie your tongue, or chain your hand, or close your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

12 comments:

Vicki said...

Hi Sharon!

This is so full of needed truth. Looks like I've got a lot of dying yet to do:-) Wish you knew who the author was, 'cause I'd love to use a quote. Could it be Amy Carmichael? She wrote much on Calvary's love and dying to self.

Hope all is well your way. Sending hugs!

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hello Vicki!
It is always good to hear from you.You are such a blessing to me.This indeed is so full of truth.It has blessed as well as convicted me.I too have much dying to self to do yet myself.Sigh...so grateful for His love&grace...Blessings dear friend and sister...
Sharon
ps...thanks so much for stopping by my blog

sparrow's song said...

Major nuggets!! I would like to print this out, please.

Where do I start to copy and paste some highlighted portions? So much to consider.

"...but if you absolutely sell yourself to be his love slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the inner circle.

Wow! Definitely a chunk to chew on.

A pleasure to meet you.

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hello again Sparrow...
It's such a pleasure to meet you too.I am so glad you stopped by my blog and were blessed by what you've read.It is my desire to use my love of words,writing and reading to bless God as well as His children.I feel His smile when I do...
Love,Sharon :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello Sharon,

I believe the first quote (poem) is by Corrie ten Boom. I found it on your sight while searching for Corrie's poem.

The second quote sounds much like Watchman Nee. Only am guess.

God Bless, Gary in Colorado

Sharon Goemaere said...

Hi Gary,
THanks for stopping by my blog as well as for your input.I believe you may be right!On both counts.
Blessings,Sharon :-)

Anonymous said...

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L Schmitz said...

Dying to Self was written by Bill Britton, who passed away in the mid 1980s. Many of his other writings can be found on the internet.

The authorship of Others May But You Cannot is attributed to G.D. Watson who lived during the mid 1800s.

Sharon Goemaere said...

Thanks so much for this information!Blessings~Sharon

Anonymous said...

I just had a beautiful moment here. It is a little miracle to have visited and I hope you will visit me sometime at Talkingtothegrass on blogspot and owlflight,wordpress.com. I love Corrie ten Boom and Watchman Nee--I forgot the name until I was reminded of it here. I also love Pema Chodron.
Blessings to you and yours!

Sharon Goemaere said...

Dear "Owl" :),
Oh thank you for stopping by and leaving such lovely words.I have bookmarked your blogs and will stop by today.Blessings~Sharon

Mala Willcutts said...

thank you so much. your post helped me a lot. God bless you and may you keep writing all that He gives to you. It truly blessed me.
Grace and peace be yours!
Mala