Am I dead yet?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

I am teaching a ladies' Bible study in West Virginia. This is a verse God has been dealing with me about over the past several months. I am slowly, slowly, slowly learning to die to self. I have to confess that most days I start back at square one in this fight. While preparing for this particular lesson, I found this. I am going to print it and tape it in every location I can find to keep it before my eyes. It is SO not about me, but I still have a lot of dying left to do.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, and any raiment, and any interruption by the will of God, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you are forgotten or neglected, or purposely set at naught and you don't sting and hurt with the insult of 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 opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend your self, but take it all in patient, loving silence, THAT IS DYING TO SELF.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder and irregularity, 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 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??