Words from a Dying Man

As he lay recovering from surgery for the cancer that would eventually kill him, the great Chinese evangelist/revivalist Dr. John Sung wrote this song:

Comparing the Past with the Present

Before,I magnified myself; now, I hide in Christ.
Before, I craved man's praise; now I crave to please Him.
Before, I worked for results; now I want God's will to be done.
Before, I preached in my wisdom; now I depend on the Holy Spirit's power.

Before, I loved to talk about the affairs of the world; now, I love to meditate silently on Him;
Before, I delighted in human friendship; now I delight in spiritual fellowship.
Before, I sang to please my ears; now I sing out of my love for Him;
Before, I prayed with my feelings; now, I rely on faith to win the victory.

Before, I liked to judge people; now, I examine myself in the Lord.
Before, I reveled in busyness; now I learn to wait patiently.
Before, I examined the Bible for interesting tidbits; now, I enjoy the Spirit's illumination.
Before, I wrote using my experiences; now I depend on the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

From The Diaries of John Sung: An Autobiography, translated by Stephen L. Sheng.