Humility vs Pride — Gerhard Du Toit

Compassion and Dependence in a Broken Christian Life

When God has given me a broken heart, I am overwhelmed to the sense of my own spiritual need. When I live a broken Christian life, there is a spirit of compassion about my life because I can forgive much, because I know how much I have been forgiven.

I always esteem others better than myself. When I serve God with a broken heart, I have a dependent spirit and I recognize my need for others. When I serve God with a broken life, I have learned the secret of denying myself.

Promoting Other Believers Rather Than Self

When my heart is broken before God, I have a motivation to serve others. I am motivated to be faithful before God and to make others a success. When my heart is broken before God, I have a deep desire to promote other believers.

I have a sense of my own unworthiness and I am so thrilled that God would use me in any kind of the ministry or any kind of the fellowship. I am always eager for others to get the credit. And when my heart is broken, I rejoice when others are lifted up and I never defend myself.

When my heart is broken before God, I have a hard attitude that says, I do not deserve to be part of this fellowship. I know that I've got nothing to offer God except the life of Christ that is flowing through my broken life.

Vulnerability, Responsibility, and Receiving Criticism

And when I'm broken before God, I'm so humiliated by how much more I have to learn. I'm not concerned about the self-life and I'm willing to take risks to become vulnerable and to be close to others and to open my life to love other people.

And when I serve God with a broken heart, I always take personal responsibility and I can see where I have done wrong in any kind of a situation. And when I'm broken before God, I always receive criticism with a humble and with an open spirit.

I'm not concerned. I'm concerned about being real. And what they care about and what matters to those who are broken, it's not what others think, but it's what God knows about them. And I'm willing to die to my own reputation.

And when I live a broken Christian life, I'm willing to be open and transparent with others as God will direct me. And when I'm broken before God, I don't care who knows or who finds out about me. I am willing to be exposed because I have nothing to lose in my relationship with God.

Confession and Genuine Repentance

And so when I serve God with a broken heart, I'm always quick to admit my failures and I want to seek forgiveness whenever it is necessary. When I live a broken Christian life and I'm under a conviction of God's Spirit, I'm able to acknowledge the specifics about my sin.

I'm grief over the cause of my sin and I'm grief over the root of my sin. And when I'm broken before God, I truly and genuinely repent over my sin and the evidence in the fact is that I want to forsake that sin.

Reconciliation and Cleansing Before God

When I live a broken Christian life, I want to take the initiative to be reconciled when there has been a misunderstanding or a conflict in any kind of relationship. I want to raise to the cross. I want to see if I can get there first, no matter how wrong the other person may have been.

And when I'm broken before God, I compare myself with the holiness of God. I sense the desperate need of the mercy and the grace of God. I always want to walk in the light. And when I serve God with a broken spirit, I realize that I have a need of a consistent cleansing of heart and repentance.

And when I'm broken before God, I continually sense my need for a fresh encounter with God the Holy Spirit. But when there is pride in my life as a Christian, I always focus on the failures of other Christians and other fellowships.

Pride as Self-Righteousness and Independence

When there is pride in my life, I've got a very self-righteous spirit. I've got a critical spirit. I have a fault-finding spirit. And I look at everyone else's faults through the microscope. But I always look at my own faults through the telescope.

And I always look down upon the lives of other people. When there is pride in my life, I have an independent and a self-sufficient spirit. I'm protective of my time. I try to protect my reputation and my rights as a Christian.

And I focus on the deficiencies of other Christians. When there is pride in my life, I want to be served by other Christians. I've got a desire to be successful. I want to advance the self-life. And when there is the sin of pride in my life, I've got this drive.

Pride's Desire for Recognition and Advancement

I want to be appreciated. I want to be recognized. I'm offended and I'm wounded when other Christians are promoted. And I have been overlooked because of what I have done. When there is pride in my life, I've got this inner attitude.

And this is what I said, that this fellowship is very privileged to have me and my gifts. And all I think is what I can do for God. And when there is pride in my life, I'm confident about how much I've learned other scriptures and how far I have gone in my relationship with God.

And when there is pride in my life, I always keep people in a distance. When there is pride in my life, I want to blame other people. When there is pride in my life, I'm unapproachable. When there is pride in my life, I'm defensive.

Concealing Sin and Refusing Confession

When I'm criticized by other Christians. And when there is the sin of pride in my life, I'm so concerned to be respectable. I'm concerned about what other people think of me. And I try to protect my image and my reputation.

And when there is pride in my life, I find it very difficult to share my spiritual needs. When there is the sin of pride, I want to be sure that no one else find out that I have sinned. And I try to cover up sin.

And I have this instinct to try and not to reveal it. And when there is pride in my life, I always want to make sure that no one else finds out when I have sinned. And I try to cover it up. And I find it very, very difficult to say, you know, I'm wrong.

Will you please forgive me? When there is pride in my life, I'm concerned about the consequences of my sin. I'm remorseful over my sin. Simply because I've been caught that I have sinned before God and sinned before man.

Pride's Blindness to the Need for Revival

And when there is pride in my life, I always wait for others to come and ask for forgiveness. When there is a misunderstanding or a conflict in my relationship with God. When there is pride in my life, I try to compare myself with other Christians and other believers and other fellowships.

And I always think that I'm better than them. When there is pride in my life, I'm blind. I become blind to my own heart condition. When there is pride in my life, I don't think that there is anything that I need to repent of.

I don't think that I need revival. But oh, I'm so sure that everyone else needs revival in my relationship with God. It's time to pray, shall we?