Monday, June 29, 2015

Humility Test

Now without going into how one develops humility, let's consider how one might measure the level of one's humility. These are some ideas following the  Implicit Association Test (IAT)
  • Do you respond to rebuke by getting angry or by giving careful consideration to the rebuke?
  • If someone disagrees with your opinion, do you demonize and slander the person, or do you do you try to understand their point of view?
  • Do you read the Bible looking to obey it, with an application oriented mindset, or do you try to read into your own ideas and your own chosen lifestyle? Do you find that your study is dominated by trying to get around what it says?
  • Do you submit to legitimate human authority figures as the Bible directs?
    • If you are a wife, do you accept and practice your God-given role of being subordinate to your husband?
    • If you are a women do you accept and practice the politically incorrect gender specific commands in the New Testament?
  • For those who speak and teach spiritual things, is your speech and reasoning dominated by your own words and ideas, or those of the Bible?
  • When you hear the phrase "Word of God" do your own words and ideas come to mind or does the Bible come to mind?
  • Are you generally afraid of what people think of you? (This indicates pride!)
    • This is generally a misconception. It is not characteristic of Biblical humility for one to place a high value on other people's opinion of them. The humble are more concerned about doing what is right than doing things to make themselves more popular. Thus "the righteous are as bold as a lion." Prov 28:1 Confidence in God is characteristic of Biblical humility. "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."Heb 10:35
  • When you think of leading someone to Christ, do you tend to replace the "gospel" with your own personal testimony?
  • Do you talk more about Christ of the Bible or more about yourself and your own personal experience of Christ?
  • Do you tend to pray more for yourself or more for others?
  • Are you involved in regularly meeting the practical needs of others?
  • Concerning you secular career and ministry objective, are you trying to make something of yourself, or are you trying to make nothing of yourself? (Joh 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less.") Is your objective to serve, or simply to make a name for yourself?

SHIRU L'ADONAI / SING TO THE LORD (PSALM 96:1-2)

SHIRU L'ADONAI / SING TO THE LORD (PSALM 96:1-2) SING TO THE LORD A BRAND NEW SONG SING TO THE LORD ALL THE EARTH SING TO THE LORD BLES...