Jesus said, “Whoever then humbles
himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 18:4). The Humility Test will reveal areas of pride in our hearts. See
last week for Part 1.
Question
#5: Do you have trouble submitting to authority? Yes or No
“Submit
yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…Servants, be
submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who
are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable” (1 Peter
2:13,18). Anyone can submit if we agree with those in authority, it’s when
those masters are unreasonable that we have the problem. The only way we can
submit to unreasonable authorities is through a humble heart that seeks to
please the Lord.
Question
#6: Are you unwilling to do humiliating jobs? Yes or No
Jesus
said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever
wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:43–44). This
statement was revolutionary. No one had ever taught humility was a virtue and a
slave was important.
Humility is willing to do any job God
asks no matter how insignificant or undignified it might be. Being a servant
doesn’t necessarily mean having a lowly position, but having a lowly heart. A person
can be in a high position and still maintain a servant’s heart.
Question
#7: Do you look down on anyone? Yes or No
Pride sets itself up in a higher
position so it can look down on others. Humility never looks down on anyone.
God tells us to regard others as more important than ourselves (Phil.
2:3). Humility doesn’t mean we put ourselves down, but we lift others up. All
people are equally valuable in God’s eyes, but from our viewpoint others should
be considered as more significant.
Question
#8: Do you brag about your strengths instead of weaknesses? Yes or No
Admitting our weaknesses opens the way
to receive God’s power. Paul said, “I will rather boast about my weaknesses,
that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9). Although it’s tempting
to brag about our achievements, it’s better to keep silent and let the
accomplishments speak for themselves. A chicken lays one egg and cackles
about it, while a salmon lays 10,000 eggs and doesn’t say a word.
Grading
Your Test
If you answered yes to any of
the above questions, those are areas of pride in your life. “Clothe yourselves
with humility toward one another, for God
is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the
mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:5–6)
The
only one who can humble “yourself” is yourself. Humility shines the
spotlight on God, not ourselves. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net
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