The Joy and Miracle of Self-Forgetfulness

I was recently listening to a series of messages from a Desiring God conference and during a panel discussion Justin Taylor asked John Piper about a comment he had made concerning the "joy and miracle of self-forgetfulness". Justin asked why he referred to self-forgetfulness as a "miracle" and even though it might be a miracle, if there might still be strategies to cultivate it. The following is a transcription of Piper's response:

"There are things you can do [to cultivate self-forgetfulness], mostly before the moment. First of all, what it is and where it came from. Humility is an essential reality in the Christian life. Calvin said that Christianity is first humility , second humility and third humility. The more I have thought about it the more I realized how impossible it is to intentionally be humble. Because if you succeed in the intention, you are not. In other words, you are aware you are and being aware that you are ruins it. Therefore, it is a catch-22 at that moment if it’s a command to clothe yourself in humility. If I succeed at obeying the command then I’ve done a pretty good thing. I should feel good about how I succeeded at that command.... That’s why it’s a miracle. The way you experience humility is by not experiencing it.

"The really humble person is not thinking about himself. There are two other things he should be thinking about: (1.) How glorious God is and (2.) how he can help another person. He should be involved as a servant and really happy. It is more blessed to give than receive. As I start thinking about that I start messing that up. As soon as I start thinking about how vibrant my worship is, it’s gone. So the miracle of authenticity in a moment of service or worship is self-forgetfulness."

That last paragraph is wonderfully clarifying for me. When I am worshiping and serving (whether on Sundays or this evening in my own home) I don't want to be focused on myself in those moments ("I'm being a godly husband by washing the dishes..."). Rather I want to be focused on the glory of God in Christ and the opportunity to love Him and enjoy Him made available in, say, washing those dishes.

I will post Pastor John's recommended strategies to cultivate this self-forgetfulness in the next couple of days.