Dying to Self

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence. This is dying unto self. 

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance, when you can stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility and endure it as Jesus did. That is dying to self. 

When you are content with any food and offering, any raiment in any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God. That is dying to self. 

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your own good works or itch after commendation, 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 you are 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.

Attributed to Octavius Winslow.