Dereliction of the Self

7/25/2015

"Perfect love is a kind of self-dereliction, a wandering out of ourselves..."
Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man

When I read this little thought, my mind and heart stop at the word "self-dereliction." Derelict. A word that calls to mind an old derelict boat, bumping against old rotten pilings in some long-forgotten bay. Which is exactly how much we're to abandon the Self in pursuit of Jesus. Our Self should be lost to us; we can't even quite remember where it was we left it. It's rotting away somewhere while we're off walking in freedom and joy with Jesus, the Christ.

Have you wandered out of yourself? Is your Self left derelict in the bay of the Old Life?

2 Comments

Marvin

7/27/2015 00:14:36

"Dereliction of duty" comes to mind. We would think we have a duty to to our old life. Our old thinking. Our old country—to defend its borders and shore up its claims. But there is a new king who calls us to the "other country." We are part of His army and no longer our own. We are under orders to the new country and leaving the old one behind. Joyfully serving our King and Friend.

Eugene

7/27/2015 01:20:20

Mmmm... I love that additional sharpening of the thought!

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