Here are some quotes I recently came across:
"He that knows how to die to all things will have life in all things." -John of the Cross
"To die but not to perish is to be eternally present." -Tao Te Ching
I have been thinking about the whole spiritual concept of death and dying to self of late.
I see my life and I realize how materialistic and how much a product of this culture I am. I see how incredibly individualistic and autonomous I am and I hate it. Yet I am not willing to give it up. Yet I know what needs to be done. It is a daily decision that needs to be made, yet I always seem to choose in the wrong direction.
In Deuteronomy, God spoke to his people saying that He presented to them life or death and they should choose life that they may live. In choosing life though, death to self is necessary. Then life can be fully lived.
One must give up the notion that they can do it themselves and surrender in humility. Sounds so simple, but when I look at my daily life, it's so much harder to actually do.
3 comments:
wow, that's incredible Vanessa, you really gave me something to think about. It's so easy to get swept up with what We want and sometimes forget that it's not actually our lives that we're living.
thanks for sharing that, i often feel the same way, so it's nice to know i'm not alone! actually one of my favourite quotes of all time goes nicely with your first one. it's from george macdonald's "phantastes": "he who lives, he dies; who dies, he is alive."
Vanessa, God has made you to be the outgoing, fun-loving person that you are, and He has given you talents and resources. The key is, to use them for the good of others, to give of yourself to build others up. Read I Timothy 6:17-19. Notice that it says God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment!! But then we are to do good, be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share, thereby laying up treasure in heaven. Something for you to reflect on!
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