When I was cleaning, I found a bookmark behind the furniture.
What timing.
He who formed my soul calls me back to Him, draws me to Himself,
He who formed my soul calls me back to Him, draws me to Himself,
loving me enough to show me how sinful I really am,
in my heart, where only He sees.
On the bookmark, Nancy Leigh DeMoss has contrasted characteristics of proud, unbroken people who are resistant to the call of God on their lives
with the qualities of broken, humble people
who have experienced God’s revival.
I encourage you to read each item on the list as you ask God to reveal
which characteristics of a proud spirit He finds in your life.
Confess these to Him, then ask Him to restore the corresponding quality
of a broken, humble spirit in you.
Proud People:
- Focus on the failures of others
- A critical spirit , fault finding
- Self-righteous
- Independent, self sufficient spirit
- Have to prove they are right
- Claims rights; have a demanding spirit
- Self protective of their time, rights, and reputation
- Desire to be served
- Desire to be a success
- Desire self advancement
- Have a drive to be recognized and appreciated
- Wounded when they are overlooked
- Think of what they can do for God
- Feel confident in how much they know
- Self conscious
- Keep other’s at arms length
- Quick to blame others
- Defensive when criticized
- Work to protect their own image and reputation
- Do not want others to find out about their sin
- Have a hard time saying, “I was wrong, please forgive me.”
- Tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin
- Concerned about the consequences of their sin
- Sorry they got caught in their sin
- Wait for other to ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding
- Compare themselves to others and feel worthy of honor
- Blind to their true heart condition
- Don’t think they have anything to repent of
- Don’t think they need revival, but everyone else does.
Broken People:
- Sense their spiritual need
- Compassionate
- Can forgive much
- Esteem others better than self
- Recognize their need for others
- Yield the right to be right, Meek in spirit
- Self-denying
- Motivated to serve others
- Makes others a success
- Desires to promote others
- Thrilled God would use them at all
- Rejoice when others get lifted up
- Know they have nothing to offer God
- Humbled by how much they have to learn
- Not concerned with self at all
- Takes the risk to love
- Accept personal responsibility when wrong
- Open and humble
- What matters is what God knows
- Willing to be exposed
- Quick to seek forgiveness and admit failure
- Acknowledges specific sin
- Grieved over the root of their sin
- Genuinely repentant
- Takes initiative to reconcile
- Compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel desperate for His mercy
- Walk in the light
- Have a heart attitude of repentance
- Sense their need for a fresh encounter with God.
I confess that I identify far too much with the proud person.
I want to change, be changed.
Lord help me become one whose heart is truly revived!
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Psalm 51:17
Oh how I needed that just now! Thank you for sharing!~ tracyb
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