========================================================================
  WE SHOULD LISTEN TO GOD AND NOT TO SELF-LOVE.
  by Francois Fenelon
========================================================================

Summary: To truly hear God's voice, we must silence self-love and choose
to listen in stillness and humility.

Topics: "Self Denial", "Godly Love"
Scripture References: Matthew 16:24, Galatians 2:20, James 4:7, 1 John 2:15

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Francois Fenelon emphasizes the importance of listening to the love of
God over self-love, highlighting the contrasting characteristics of the
two voices - self-love being restless and eager, while the love of God
is peaceful and gentle. He warns against the distractions of self-love
that focus on flattery and self-centered desires, urging instead to
forget self and allow God to be the center of our lives. Fenelon
encourages silencing the selfish voice to hear the quiet but profound
voice of God's love that speaks when we seek it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

LETTER XXV.

We should listen to God and not to self-love.

I beseech you not to listen to self. Self-love whispers in one ear and
the love of God in the other; the first is restless, bold, eager, and
impetuous; the other is simple, peaceful, and speaks but a few words in
a mild and gentle voice. The moment we attend to the voice of self
crying in our ear, we can no longer hear the modest tones of holy love.
Each speaks only of its single object. Self-love entertains us with
self, which, according to it, is never sufficiently well attended to; it
talks of friendship, regard, esteem, and is in despair at everything but
flattery. The love of God, on the other hand, desires that self should
be forgotten, that it should be trodden under foot and broken as an
idol, and that God should become the self of espoused souls, and occupy
them as others are occupied by self. Let the vain, complaining babbler,
self-love, be silenced, that in the stillness of the heart we may listen
to that other love that only speaks when addressed.

========================================================================
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/francois-fenelon/we-should-listen-to-god-and-not-to-self-love/
========================================================================