---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be natural; forget yourself; be so…"
description: "\"Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you are doing and in the realisation of the presence of God, and in the glory and the greatness of ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg"
---

#  Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you…

![“Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you are doing and in the realisation of the presence of God, and in the glory and the greatness of the Truth that you are preaching, and the occasion that brings you together...that you forget yourself completely. That is the right condition…” quote by Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg)

> “Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you are doing and in the realisation of the presence of God, and in the glory and the greatness of the Truth that you are preaching, and the occasion that brings you together...that you forget yourself completely. That is the right condition; that is the only place of safety; that is the only way in which you can honor God. Self is the greatest enemy of the preacher, more so than in the case of any other man in society. And the only way to deal with self is to be so taken up with, and so enraptured by, the glory of what you are doing, that you forget yourself altogether.”

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True devotion requires losing self‑interest, immersing fully in divine purpose, and seeing God’s truth as the sole safety.

**In simple terms:** Forget self, focus on God’s work.

Key Takeaway

Surrender ego to serve higher purpose.

Themes

spirituality humility devotion purpose

Mood

contemplative reverent

Type

inspirational spiritual

When to use this quote

- preaching
- personal prayer
- community worship
- mission work

Key Concepts

self‑transcendence theology mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What distractions pull you from divine focus?
- How can you maintain humility in service?

A Different Perspective

Self‑obsession can still infiltrate; vigilance needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/)

## Related quotes

> [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

> [“When it comes to the self in becoming, the greatest enrichment another person can bring to your life is the gift of enabling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-knight-the-philosophical-muser-blog/when-it-comes-to-the-self-in-becoming-the-greatest-enrichment-another/)

James Knight - The Philosophical Muser Blog

> [Being yourself with grace, confidence &amp; self esteem is blessing, which one must bestow on him self.One of the greatest challenge is to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/being-yourself-with-grace-confidence-self-esteem-is-blessing-which/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [God stuffed human beings with great qualities and powers but to discover them was left on them only. Looking into self and knowing self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/god-stuffed-human-beings-with-great-qualities-and-powers-but-to/)

Senoraroy

> [“To love one’s self, this is the greatest challenge we are all called to face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/to-love-one-s-self-this-is-the-greatest-challenge-we-are-all-called/)

[T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/)

> [“The kingdom is the manifest presence of God’s reign.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-c-wilson/the-kingdom-is-the-manifest-presence-of-god-s-reign/)

[Jared C. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-c-wilson/)

> [Each day is a step we make towards eternity and we shall continue thus to step from day to day until we take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mcauley/each-day-is-a-step-we-make-towards-eternity-and-we-shall-continue/)

[Catherine McAuley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mcauley/)

> [“When things fall apart, the broken pieces allow all sorts of things to enter, and one of them is the presence of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-things-fall-apart-the-broken-pieces-allow-all-sorts-of-things-to/)

[Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/)

> [O it is a happy thing to feel ourselves helpless and naught, for then the presence of God is felt to wrap us about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/o-it-is-a-happy-thing-to-feel-ourselves-helpless-and-naught-for-then/)

[William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/)

> [You can have all of your doctrines right—yet still not have the presence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/you-can-have-all-of-your-doctrines-right-yet-still-not-have-the/)

[Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/)

> [That is one of the reasons I write: to feel the Presence of God and know He is speaking to me in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/that-is-one-of-the-reasons-i-write-to-feel-the-presence-of-god-and/)

[Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/)

> [Prayer in secret is life finding expression in the realized Presence of God our Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-chadwick/prayer-in-secret-is-life-finding-expression-in-the-realized-presence/)

[Samuel Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-chadwick/)

> [We cannot attain the presence of God. We're already totally in the presence of God. What's missing is awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brenner/we-cannot-attain-the-presence-of-god-we-re-already-totally-in-the/)

[David Brenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brenner/)

> [Wide awake to the presence of God, I realized I had been so focused on asking why a good God allowed bad things to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-feinberg/wide-awake-to-the-presence-of-god-i-realized-i-had-been-so-focused-on/)

[Margaret Feinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-feinberg/)

> [It should be pursued as in the presence of God, and under the solemn sanctions created by a lively sense of his omniscience, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-greenleaf/it-should-be-pursued-as-in-the-presence-of-god-and-under-the-solemn/)

[Simon Greenleaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-greenleaf/)

## More by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

> [“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/have-you-realized-that-most-of-your-unhappiness-in-life-is-due-to-the/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [We need less travelling by jet plaes from congress to congress... but more kneeling and praying and pleading to God to have mercy on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/we-need-less-travelling-by-jet-plaes-from-congress-to-congress-but/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [“According to Scripture, the trouble with man by nature is not that he is incomplete but that he is dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/according-to-scripture-the-trouble-with-man-by-nature-is-not-that-he/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [Man was never meant to be a god, but he is forever trying to deify himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/man-was-never-meant-to-be-a-god-but-he-is-forever-trying-to-deify/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [Faith is a refusal to panic, come what may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/faith-is-a-refusal-to-panic-come-what-may/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [The devil is so subtle that he dominates man and persuades him at the same time that he is not being dominated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/the-devil-is-so-subtle-that-he-dominates-man-and-persuades-him-at-the/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [A revival means days of heaven upon earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/a-revival-means-days-of-heaven-upon-earth/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [If you doubt your sins have been forgiven, that in itself is sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/if-you-doubt-your-sins-have-been-forgiven-that-in-itself-is-sin/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [You must be made miserable before you can know true Christian joy. Indeed the real trouble with the miserable Christian is that he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/you-must-be-made-miserable-before-you-can-know-true-christian-joy/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [Spiritual depression or unhappiness in the Christian life is very often due to our failure to realize the greatness of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/spiritual-depression-or-unhappiness-in-the-christian-life-is-very/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [The church is always to be under the Word; she must be; we must keep her there. You must not assume that because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/the-church-is-always-to-be-under-the-word-she-must-be-we-must-keep/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [You are either a Christian or you are not a Christian; you cannot be partly a Christian. You are either "dead" or "alive"; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/you-are-either-a-christian-or-you-are-not-a-christian-you-cannot-be/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [The ultimate test of our spirituality is the measure of our amazement at the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/the-ultimate-test-of-our-spirituality-is-the-measure-of-our-amazement/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [To love to preach is one thing; to love to whom you preach is quite another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/to-love-to-preach-is-one-thing-to-love-to-whom-you-preach-is-quite/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [If you look at your past and are depressed it means that you are listening to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/if-you-look-at-your-past-and-are-depressed-it-means-that-you-are/)

[Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

[Explore all 65 Martyn Lloyd-Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/)

## More Christian quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/)

[Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why do Christians sing when they are together? The reason is, quite simply, because in singing together it is possible for them to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/why-do-christians-sing-when-they-are-together-the-reason-is-quite/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/)

[David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-hales/for-many-the-call-to-be-a-christian-can-seem-demanding-even/)

[Robert D. Hales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-hales/)

> [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/)

[Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Poor David Hume is dying fast, but with more real cheerfulness and good humor and with more real resignation to the necessary course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/poor-david-hume-is-dying-fast-but-with-more-real-cheerfulness-and/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [“Is there any holy beings like human beings?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-holy-beings-like-human-beings/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

[Browse all 14,306 Christian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you are doing and in the realisation of the presence of God, and in the glory and the greatness of the Truth that you are preaching, and the occasion that brings you together...that you forget yourself completely. That is the right condition; that is the only place of safety; that is the only way in which you can honor God. Self is the greatest enemy of the preacher, more so than in the case of any other man in society. And the only way to deal with self is to be so taken up with, and so enraptured by, the glory of what you are doing, that you forget yourself altogether.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martyn Lloyd-Jones"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbed-in-what-you-are-doing-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Christian"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbed-in-what-you-are-doing-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/martyn-lloyd-jones-10434_christian_be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbe_1104846.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Be natural; forget yourself; be so absorbed in what you are doing and in the realisation of the presence of…” — Martyn Lloyd-Jones",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martyn Lloyd-Jones",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Be natural; forget yourself; be so...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbed-in-what-you-are-doing-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/be-natural-forget-yourself-be-so-absorbed-in-what-you-are-doing-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
