Devotional: How to Forget Yourself

devotionals

Feb 11

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Most of us don’t realize it, but we spend a lot of our lives in a courtroom. We’re constantly evaluating ourselves, wondering how we’re doing, and thinking about what other people think about us. Quietly, we ask the same question over and over: Am I enough?

That’s part of what it means to be human. We’re self-aware, and because of that, we’re always looking for a verdict. How did I do? Do I matter? Am I a good person?

The apostle Paul understood this. In 1 Corinthians, he shows us a completely different way to live. Paul says something surprising. He tells the church that he cares very little if he is judged by others. Then he goes even further and says he does not even judge himself. Instead, he rests in this truth: “It is the Lord who judges me.”

Paul isn’t pretending he’s innocent or morally superior. In fact, he’s very honest about his sin and failures. What makes Paul different isn’t that he thinks more highly of himself. It’s that he’s no longer searching for a verdict. Paul knows the final verdict has already been given.

Our natural ego doesn’t work that way. Left on its own, it’s empty, busy, and fragile. We swing back and forth between feeling better than others and feeling worse than others. One moment we feel confident, the next moment we feel discouraged. Our sense of worth rises and falls based on circumstances we can’t control. And over time, that becomes exhausting.

But the gospel offers freedom.

Paul reminds us that in Christ, the courtroom is closed. Jesus has already taken the condemnation we deserve. Because of that, Paul can say something we rarely know how to say: I am guilty, but I am not condemned.

That’s the heart of the gospel.

This is why Paul can live with such surprising freedom. He’s not performing for approval. He’s living from a verdict that has already been spoken. Or to put it another way, we perform from our verdict, not for our verdict.

That changes everything.

It means you don’t have to prove yourself today. You don’t have to compare yourself to others. You don’t have to live on trial. Instead, you’re free to love, serve, and listen without fear.

Still, the courtroom tries to reopen every day. When you wake up in the morning, the voices are still there. Comparison still creeps in. The pressure to measure up still shows up. That’s why Paul points us back to the gospel again and again.

Every day, we have to read the verdict over our lives: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

As we do that, slowly our ego begins to heal. We stop swinging between superiority and inferiority. We become less defensive, less anxious, and less consumed with ourselves. Over time, we learn how to forget ourselves—not by thinking poorly of ourselves and not by thinking highly of ourselves, but by being free to live in grace.

That’s the kind of life the gospel makes possible.

Prayer

God, You know how often I measure myself and look for approval. You know how quickly I compare and judge myself. Help me rest in the verdict You have already spoken over my life. Remind me that in Christ there is no condemnation. Teach me to live from grace instead of striving. May I walk today in humility, freedom, and joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Discussion Questions

What does Romans 8:1 teach us about God’s verdict over our lives in Christ?
In what situations do you most often find yourself “living on trial” or looking for approval?
What is one small, practical way you could remind yourself of God’s verdict this week?