A friend of mine passed me this poem on a creased and wrinkled piece of paper about 15 years ago. I tucked it into my Bible at the time, and have come back to it many times over the years to be reminded of how easy it is to slip back into a life dominated by selfishness and discontent. I hope that it is an encouragement to you, and that you in turn will pass it on to others. Print it out, slip it into your Bible, and just watch what happens…
- Darin McWatters
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 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, and 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.
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10
RH Mentorships
I don’t cry very often. I’m the calm, collected type of guy. Unless it is a Friday night, during the summertime. Then it’s tears every time. For a while, I couldn’t figure out why.
Most of my ministry years have been spent serving at Christian camps. These are places where students come to have a blast, meet great people, and most importantly – meet God. And Friday night is when we would show a video recap of the week, and without fail, I would get all misty-eyed. I always teared up in the spots where our counselors were shown walking with campers on the beach, along mountain trails or sitting in the snack shop talking. Though I knew this part was coming, I would always be moved to tears. What was going on inside of me?
I knew in my head that college-aged staff caring for high-schoolers was a good thing, but when I saw these one-to-one relationships in action, my heart and soul exploded. We know how it feels to be unknown, alone and misunderstood. And how it feels to be listened to, encouraged, questioned, cared for and loved.
At ROCKHARBOR this Christmas, we were reminded that God came down to us through Jesus, to know us and make Himself known. Jesus came to earth to be with us, to walk with us, and He’s told us to do the same (Matthew 28:19).
I love walking with people on their journey of faith and life. But maybe even more, I love calling people to walk with others. And that’s what I get to do here at ROCKHARBOR – to encourage people to walk alongside each other as we follow Jesus.
If you feel like being a part of Mentorships at ROCKHARBOR, I challenge you to sign up for one the the mentoring trainings this February.
- Danny Wallen
For more information, and to sign up on CORE, visit: https://core.rockharbor.org/involvements/view/Involvement:2558