Email Love

We periodically get email updates from our "Sunday School" class at our home church in Birmingham.  Sometimes there are prayer requests.  Sometimes it's the slides from that week's class.  It's always interesting though because we don't often know the context behind the email.  This is what came today.  The Lord used it to speak directly to my heart, so I thought I'd pass it on.  Thanks, friends, for keeping us on the email list and sharing the love. :)

Definition of self-love:  The instinct (an innate or inborn impulse, inclination or tendency) by which one's actions are directed to the promotion of one's own welfare or well-being, especially an excessive regard for one's own advantage.

Fenelon (The Seeking Heart):

You are too self-conscious.  You also let your feelings guide you too much.  As soon as prayer stops bringing you deep comfort, you become discouraged.  Do you want to find peace?  Be less infatuated with yourself, and more concerned with pleasing God.

                Self-love will let you become sentimental about yourself and overly concerned with your problems.  You will find yourself spending all your time worrying about your troubles.  Soon all this worry will cloud over the sense of God’s presence in your life, and then you will really be depressed.  Paul said, “I do not judge myself.”  Take his advice and you will do well.  Give God a free reign to work within you, and then don’t spend all your time being introspective.

                God will show you what displeases Him and all you have to do is simply turn away from what is unworthy of your Beloved.  Stop being so taken up with yourself!

                Your old nature wants to be perfect.  It will push you in every way to be an outstanding Christian.  Please avoid this trap.  Simply follow the Lord.  You do not need to see yourself as a wise, strong, and virtuous woman.  Just be a little child.

[Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus]

[23] And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 ESV)

Maybe I need to go find that book The Seeking Heart?  Sounds really good.