MANIFESTATIONS OF HUMILITY

MANIFESTATIONS OF HUMILITY – A humble person lives his life differently than a proud person. How does your life measure up to what the Bible tells us about humility? Below is a sample list of some characteristics or manifestations of humility to evaluate your life by. This will help you determine just how humble or proud you are. May the Holy Spirit convict you of the areas you need work in and may you determine to follow His leading and do the work necessary in your life to weed out the pride and sow humility in its place.

• Trusting and recognizing the character of God. – A humble person realizes and acknowledges who God is, and how high he is, and how low they are in comparison. A humble person will trust God more than a proud person. A humble person will thank God for what he is learning in a trial and the demonstration of how much he needs God in his life. (Psalm 119:66 – Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.)
• Focusing on Christ. – A humble person focuses on Christ. They see Him as their life and strive to make and keep Him the center of their life. They will talk about His goodness to them. They will praise Him and seek to honor Him. (Hebrews 12:1-2 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.)
• Praying Biblically and consistently. – Humble people see themselves as dependant on God. Because they see themselves as needy, they pray often to God trusting in His provision for their life. (I Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing.)
• Have an attitude of thankfulness and gratefulness toward others. – Humble people say thank you often. They thank God and others often. They do not expect anything, so when they receive something, they are truly grateful. (I Thessalonians 5:18 – In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.) ***Can this be said of you – that you expect nothing and that you are truly and sincerely grateful for all you get and all the blessings you receive?***
• They have an accurate view of their gifts and abilities. – Humble people do not get upset or complain that they are not as gifted as others in certain areas. They have an accurate view of themselves. They also do not brag about the gifts they do posses or exaggerate them. (Romans 12:3 – For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.)
• Humble people are good listeners. – Self is not the primary focus of a humble person. They consider what others say as very important and take an interest. (James 1:19 – Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath)
• They talk about others only if it is good or for their good. – A humble person will speak well of others and not negative. He will only convey negative things about someone if he must do so to help that person. (Proverbs 11:13 – A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. & Proverbs 27:6 – Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.)
• They have an eager, cheerful submissive attitude toward those in authority over them. – Humble people are first obedient to God, then obedient to man. (Romans 13:1-2 – Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.)
• Humble people have a teachable spirit. – They realize they do not know everything. They know they are not right all the time. They are willing to consider they may be wrong on the matter. They also know God can use anyone or any circumstance to teach them something they need to learn. (I Corinthians 4:7 – For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?)
• Humble people are on the lookout for ways to serve. They will take the duties no one else wants, and serve in that capacity with joy in their hearts. Because they are not doing it for themselves, or for man, but they are doing it as unto the Lord. (Galatians 5:13 – For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.)
• A willingness to admit when they were wrong. – They are willing to admit when they were wrong and they will not delay this admittance any longer than circumstances permit. (Proverbs 29:23 – A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.)
• They are quick and ready to grant forgiveness, they will not hold a grudge against someone. – They are eager to forgive because they know how much they have been forgiven. Humble people want to be peacemakers. (Colossians 3:12-15 – Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.)

IN CONCLUSION: We read in James 4:6 how “God resisteth the proud,” this is telling us that our God is actively fighting against pride. Why? – Because a prideful heart can lead to all sorts of other destructive sins in our life and lead us to influence those around us into a destructive downward spiral in their life. God is actively fighting against pride so he can capture us, or win us for himself (Ezekiel 14). Think on this, God will deal with the sin of your pride or you will deal with it, but in the end one way or the other it will get dealt with. I would much rather deal with my sin of my pride myself, than let it go until God has to deal with it. Charles Spurgeon said “Every Christian has a choice between being humble or being humbled.” To those that are humble, God promises grace- “giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6. Thomas Brooks said this about humbleness, “Get humble and keep humble!”

God tells us in Isaiah 57:15 – “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” God tells us He will dwell with those that are humble. He will be with them, helping them along the way. This verse also tells us He will revive those of a humble spirit, or in other words He will make alive our spirits He will invigorate us to live humbly. He will energize us for the continuous application of ourselves to live humbly.

The mindset of pride is “self is the master” and the mindset of humility is “Jesus Christ is the master and we are the servant”. The source of pride is self, and the source of humility is God. Pride works to honor self, and humility works to honor God and others. Pride is self-sufficient, and humility is Christ dependent. Determine in your mind that humility is to be your way of life. Make it a conviction that you will not be shaken from. Decide, determine, and then execute humility as a way of life. (Philippians 2:3) A humble person lives his life differently than a proud person. A humble person lives his life God minded and others minded and a prideful person sadly lives his life self centered and self minded.

*** Which one are you? ***

*** Which one do you want to be? ***

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