The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

In his book, Tim Keller disects a portion of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. He begins by addressing two opposing views of human behavior:  Do we “misbehave” because we have too high a view of our self (pride) or because we have too low a view of our self (lack of self-esteem)?

He directly and unapologetically provides an excellent evaluation of the human ego.  He suggests that we compare ourselves with others, which always results in either prideful boasting or self-condemnation.  This leads to his ultimate question:  How do we reach the point where we are not controlled by what people think of us?  In short, his answer is, “The essence of gospel humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. A truly gospel-humble person is not a self hating person or a self loving person.”  Keller then elaborates on the secret that Paul unveils in 1 Corinthians.

Although this book is short, it’s content certainly is not shallow. It may have only taken me 45 minutes to read, but it took me several weeks to really glean through.  The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness will challenge you to truly apply the gospel to your heart daily.

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