Humility

 

“Humble” – is the Greek word “tapeinos” which primarily signifies low-lying. In the Psalms it primarily means afflicted. Christian humility is that grace which makes one think of himself no more highly than he ought to think. It requires us to feel that in God’s sight we have no merit, and in honor to prefer our Christian brother to ourselves, but does not demand undue self-depreciation or depressing views of one’s self, but lowliness of self-estimation, free from vanity / conceit / pride. Dr. L. Richards in Expository Dictionary of Bible Words states that it means “depends on, honors, and is obedient to God and a servant to others who are viewed as people of great worth”.

 

Psa. 10:17; 9:12                  The Lord both hears the desire of and doesn’t forget the cry of whom?

 

How do you think God responds to your prayers when you share your distress with Him due to misfortune, loss, or oppression, and why?

 

Psa. 34:1-3           What will the humble hear and rejoice in?

 

Even when you’re afflicted (distressed about some circumstance), would you rejoice in hearing another person praising God, or would you be envious of or even hateful toward that rejoicing person because of the hard circumstances you were going through, and why?

 

Prov. 16:18, 19    What is better?

 

What is your general spirit like (your attitude about yourself as to how important you think you are as a person in comparison to others)?

And what kind of people would you prefer keeping company with: proud, wealthy people or poor, humble people, and why?

 

Prov. 29:23; 15:33              What will a person’s having a humble spirit obtain him/her?

 

And what will a person’s pride bring him/her?

Which do you want, and why?

 

What specifically will you need to do to obtain honor instead of dishonor/lowness?

 

Prov. 11:2             What is with the humble, and why do you think this is?

 

What comes with pride?

How do you think people view you (as humble or prideful), and why?

 

How do you want to be seen, especially by God, and why?

 

Will you need to change anything?                 If so, what, and how?

 

Prov. 22:4             What are the rewards of humility and the fear of the Lord?

 

Are these the kinds of rewards that you want?                              If so, what will you need to do to obtain them?

 

Prov. 27:2             What should and what shouldn’t we do?

 

Do you ever praise/exalt yourself, and why?

 

Prov. 30:32           What should the person who’s been foolish in exalting himself/herself do?

 

How would you go about doing this (in actuality)?

 

Micah 6:6-8          What does the Lord say is good and that He requires of man?

 

Are you walking/living humbly with God?                      If so, give a few example or ways of how you do this.

 

Matt. 5:3                Who is blessed (happy) and has the kingdom of heaven?

Are you poor in spirit (convinced of your spiritual poverty; conscious of your sinfulness and utter helplessness; broken of pride)?

If so, how often?

If you’re not or not very often, what do you need to do to consistently have this frame of mind, and will you?

Matt. 18:2-4          What does Jesus say about the person who humbles himself as the child He stood in their midst?

 

Do you claim any personal merit (think you have any innate goodness of your own) in the sight of God or think yourself innately superior to others or despise others?                               Why shouldn’t you (Rom. 3:10; 7:18; Lk. 18:19)?

 

Matt. 20:26, 27    Who does Jesus say is great?

 

How do you feel about being a servant to other people (even people who are younger or poorer than you or of another race), and why?

 

Lk. 18:13, 14       What are some characteristics of this humble person?

 

Have you ever humbled yourself before God in this way or similarly?

What will happen to the person who humbles himself (Matt. 23:12)?

 

Lk. 1:52                                What has God done in the past?

 

How does knowing this affect you, and why?

 

Jn. 13:14-16         What did Jesus show about Himself by what He did?

 

How would you feel about washing a group of people’s dirty, stinking feet, and why?

 

What have you done for someone or a group of people that would similarly show humility on your part?

 

And why did you choose this?

 

If you haven’t done anything this humbling with a servant’s attitude, will you make it a goal to do starting today, and why?

 

Rom. 12:3             What shouldn’t we think?

 

Do you think more highly of yourself than you ought to?                           How did you determine your answer?

 

Do you view yourself like these verses state: Rom. 3:10-12, 23; 7:18; Isa. 64:6, and why?

 

Rom. 12:10, 16    What should and what shouldn’t we do?

 

 

Is it hard for you to give preference to someone else, especially with an attitude of honoring the person (e.g., letting someone else take your spot in a sport you like to play, an opportunity you’d like to have, a job you’d like to do, a privilege you’d like to enjoy, or some food you’d like to eat), and why?

 

If it’s not hard for you, share a couple of specific examples where you’ve done this.

 

1 Cor. 1:26-29     What did God do, and why?

 

Would you have fit under the category of foolish (by the world’s standards because of your biblical values, views, beliefs, and goals), weak (lacking great influence, power, or authority), base (low born, of no family importance, ignoble), despised (looked down on), or things that are not (a nobody) when you were called by God to be saved (became a Christian)?

 

1 Cor. 3:18-20     What shouldn’t we do, and why?

 

Have you ever deceived yourself into thinking that you are a very wise person in this world because you believe(d) in: atheism, anti-supernaturalism, evolution, existentialism, communism, agnosticism, humanism, naturalism, situational ethics, materialism, Freudian/Skinnerian psychology, etc.?

Do you now realize that this worldly wisdom is foolishness before God and nothing to be prideful about?

 

1 Cor. 10:6-12     What should the person who thinks that he stands (won’t give in to temptation) do, and why (vs. 12)?

 

Are you paying close attention to yourself, thinking twice about your moral strength or spiritual maturity, so that you won’t think you’re so morally strong that you can’t cave in to temptation, and why?

 

Gal. 5:26; 6:14     What kind of boasting is wrong and what kind is right?

Do you do either?                                If so, which, and why?

 

Phil. 2:3-11          What shouldn’t we do anything from?

[“empty conceit” means “pride that there is no basis for”].

How much of what you do and how you relate to people is from self­ishness or empty conceit?

In what way did Jesus humble Himself (vss. 6-8)?

 

In what ways do you humble yourself, and why those ways?

 

Col. 3:12               Besides compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, what are we Christians commanded to put on (do as an act of our wills)?

Have you been choosing to “put on humility” (be humble) as an act of your will?                                Why, and how?

 

Jas. 4:6                  What does God do to the proud and to the humble person?

 

Have you been experiencing God’s grace (His kind acts, favor, and good will) because of being humble?

If not, you should analyze yourself as well as ask other Christians (who will be honest with you) whether or not they think you’re a humble person.

 

Jas. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6            When you come before God in prayer or at any time (since God is present-everywhere), what should you do?

                If you do, how?

 

What has He promised to do, and when?

 

How do you feel about this, and why?

 

1 Tim. 1:15           What shows the humility of the great apostle Paul?

 

                Are you humble enough to admit a weakness or sin to your spiritual trainee or a younger, newer Christian that you’re helping spiritually rather than giving him/her the impression that you’re sinless, and why?

 

Dan. 2:19, 20, 30, 45          What shows Daniel’s humility, vss. 30, 45?

 

                Are you humble enough to give credit to whom credit is due when you say or do something that amazes people rather than giving them the impression that it was you or your abilities that was the source of what amazed them, and why?

 

1 Chron. 29:10-14              What shows that king David was a humble person?

 

 

                Are you humble enough to publicly and unashamedly exalt God rather than yourself when you’re in a position of honor?

                And are you humble enough to publicly acknowledge that all you have and are comes from God, and why?

 

Num. 12:3             What does it say about Moses?

 

                Could God say this about you, and why?

 

1 Ki. 3:5, 7-9        What shows that king Solomon was a humble person, vss. 7, 9?

 

                [Though Solomon was about 20 years old when he became king of Israel, he considered himself a little child, who was inexperienced and in need of God’s wisdom.].

 

                [“go out or come in” – means, lead the nation of Israel properly.].

 

                Are you humble enough to recognize and admit that you’re inexperienced and in need of instruction when, in fact, this is true of you, even though you’re put in a respectable position, or do you in pride try to pretend that you can do something that you’re really not good or experienced at, and why?

 

Jn. 1:26, 27; 3:26-28, 30   What shows John the Baptist’s humility?

 

                Would you have this kind of humility if a godly/spiritual Christian’s ministry was increasing at the expense of your popularity and/or ministry decreasing, and why?