Monday, July 25, 2011

to lose means to win // 2011.07.25

Click here to read this day's Bible readings.

I'm not sure about the validity of these, but allegedly, Mother Teresa gave these rules to her Sisters to help them develop the virtue of humility:

1. Speak as little as possible about yourself.
2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others.
3. Avoid curiosity.
4. Do not interfere in the affairs of others.
5. Accept small irritations with good humor.
6. Do not dwell on the faults of others.
7. Accept censures even if unmerited.
8. Give in to the will of others.
9. Accept insults and injuries.
10. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded.
11. Accept injuries and insults.
12. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone.
13. Do not seek to be admired and loved.
14. Do not protect yourself behind your own dignity.
15. Give in, in discussions, even when you are right.
16. Always choose the more difficult task.

These are rules that focus on God and His people, and not on getting personal glory. Probably quite the opposite of what the mother of the two thunders had in mind when she was asking Jesus to have John and James sit at His side.

A lot of people miss the point of being Christ's follower, wanting His glory while forgetting what His being God really means. God is indeed awesome, being the epitome of glory. But most of all, God is Love, and love is "other directed". Love seeks to serve wholeheartedly. Love seeks to lose oneself for the sake of others, not for personal gain.

Jesus died on the cross with a lot of humiliation. Are you ready to go that path? If you are, than get ready to rise with Him as well. Mother Teresa decided to follow Jesus and gave away all that she has in service of others. Do you have doubts how many people love her? Do you have doubts of how much she was blessed as a result of this?

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