When I Forget What I Believe

A simple chair—resting in what already holds us.

📚 Devotional Credit

Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks (from The On-High Calling, Chapter 5)

📸 Photo Credit

Image courtesy of Unsplash

Today’s devotional from T. Austin-Sparks is a grace-soaked reminder of the paradox many believers experience—how easily we forget to actually believe what we already believe. Austin-Sparks acknowledges the very real discouragement we face when we look at ourselves and find lack, failure, or frustration. He confesses, “I believe in the finished work of Christ, yet sometimes I am just as miserable about myself as any man could be.” This is not hypocrisy; it’s a spiritual disconnect between head-level belief and heart-level rest.

What a relatable word for those of us who affirm with our mouths the complete work of Christ, yet still battle inward unrest when we see our own inconsistencies. Sparks gently exposes that our misery often stems not from bad theology but from unbelief in the theology we claim. We say, “I am in Christ, and He is in me,” yet still judge ourselves according to the flesh. We declare that God sees us through His Son, yet live as though He’s disappointed in our efforts. The result? Weariness, doubt, and the temptation to give up.

But then comes the rescue. The mercy seat is not a future hope—it’s a present reality. The blood is not waiting to be shed—it has been shed. We don’t have to make provision for mercy; we simply enter it. There’s a High Priest right now, interceding. And the work? Finished. Fully. Forever. Sparks urges us to take hold—with both hands—of the riches that are already ours in Christ.

This is not a call to minimize sin or excuse behavior. It’s a call to return to the settled truth of the gospel: we are seen in Christ, and He is seen in us. Let that truth settle more deeply than the fear, more firmly than the failure, and more surely than the discouragement. Let us believe what we believe.

📓 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit

My beloved, I do not deal with you as you deal with yourself. You look at your performance and waver; I look at My Son and rest. You examine yourself and find reason for despair. I examine you in Him and find delight. Do you see the difference?

You believe in the finished work of Christ—now believe it with your whole heart. Let your mind be renewed by it. Let your emotions settle into it. Let your will yield to it. I do not need you to impress Me. I already see you clothed in righteousness not your own. I am not measuring your merit—I am manifesting My mercy.

There is no condemnation for you, because you are in Christ Jesus. There is no longer striving, only abiding. The mercy seat is not far away—it is the place I’ve invited you to dwell. The blood that covers you still speaks a better word. The High Priest is not waiting for you to try harder—He is already making intercession for you. You are not barely tolerated; you are fully embraced.

So when you grow discouraged by what you find in yourself, don’t look inward. Look upward. I have joined you to My Son. You are not your past, your feelings, or your mistakes. You are a new creation—believe that. Live from that. Walk in that.

I see Christ in you. Let that be enough.

Scripture References: Mark 9:24; Romans 8:1, 33–34; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4–11; Hebrews 4:14–16; Hebrews 10:19–22; Colossians 3:3–4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 1:3–7; John 15:4–5

🪞Real-Life Analogy

Have you ever put your full weight on a chair without checking if it was steady, because you’ve used it a hundred times before? The trust wasn’t forced—you just knew it would hold. But imagine forgetting that trust halfway down and catching yourself awkwardly out of habit. You panic for no reason.

That’s often how it is with believing what we already believe. We know Christ is our life. We know He holds us. But we sometimes catch ourselves midway with old instincts—trying to brace ourselves as if He might not be enough. Yet He is enough. Always has been.

So today, when that familiar voice of self-doubt returns, pause. Trust that Christ in you is your righteousness, peace, and rest. When the temptation comes to evaluate yourself, instead say: “Lord, I yield to You to live Your Life in and through me right now, not because I feel worthy, but because I know You are.” Let that simple moment become your quiet act of trust.

🙏 Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You for the completed work of Christ that speaks louder than my inner critic. I trust that You see me in Your Son and that His life is now my life. I won’t try to add to what You’ve finished. I receive it. I rest in it. When I forget, You don’t. You are the faithful One, and in You I am secure. Let today be a day where I walk in the confidence of Christ in me, not in the doubt of self. You have given me everything I need for life and godliness—and I thank You for it.