A personal assessment of humility
This is part 7 of our study of the fruit of humility. To sum up our study on this fruit, I am providing this comparison between proud-hearted people and broken-hearted (humble) people. It can be used as a checklist for one to inventory one’s own progress towards the fruit of humility. Each numbered item in the first list corresponds and directly contrasts with the same numbered item in the second list.
Proud-hearted people …
- focus on the faults and the failures of others.
- are self-righteous; have critical, fault-finding spirit.
- look down on others.
- have an independent, self-sufficient spirit.
- are confident (proud) of how much they know.
- have to prove they are right.
- are self-protective of their reputations.
- desire to be served.
- desire to be a success.
- desire self-advancement.
- desire to be recognized.
- have the underlying attitude: “This (company, team, ministry, family, organization) is privileged to have me and my gifts.”
- are self-conscious.
- keep others at a distance.
- are quick to blame others.
- are defensive when criticized.
- have difficulty saying: “I was wrong.” Confess their sin using vague generalities.
- are concerned with being respectable and with protecting their image and reputation.
- find it difficult to share their spiritual needs with others.
- cover up their sin and are fearful someone might find out.
- focus on the hurts they have received and see themselves as victims in need of sympathy.
- are most concerned about the painful consequences of their sin.
- are sorry they got caught.
- when in conflict always wait for the other person to come first and say “I’m sorry.”
- compare themselves with others, and feel worthy of special honor.
- think there is nothing they need to repent of.
- don’t think they need revival—but are quite sure everyone else does.
- are blind to their heart’s real condition: utter darkness without Christ.
Broken-hearted (humble) people …
- are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.
- are compassionate and forgiving.
- esteem all others better than themselves.
- are dependent on God and others.
- are humbled by how much they have to learn.
- are willing to five up the right to be right.
- are self-denying.
- are motivated to serve others.
- are motivated to be faithful, and to make others a success.
- desire to promote others and rejoice in their achievements.
- realize their own unworthiness.
- know all they have to offer God is Jesus’ life flowing through their broken lives.
- are not concerned with self.
- are willing to take risks to get close to others and to love them.
- can accept personal responsibility and see where they are wrong.
- are able to receive criticism with an open and humble spirit.
- are quick to seek forgiveness and are able to acknowledge specific sins.
- are willing to die to their own reputation and depend on what God knows about them.
- are willing to be open and transparent with others.
- are willing to be exposed. Christ is their righteousness; they have nothing to lose.
- focus on their need of Jesus and see themselves as sinners needing a Savior.
- are grieved over the root cause of their sin.
- are deeply grieved that they have hurt God and genuinely want to forsake their sin.
- take the initiative to be reconciled and race to say: “Please forgive me; I am sorry.”
- compare themselves with Jesus and feel a desperate need for our Father’s mercy.
- realize they need a heart attitude of repentance every single day.
- sense their need for continual encounters with our Father, for daily cleansing from sin, and the constant filling of Holy Spirit.
- walk in the Light.