Spiritual Life Skills for Any WorkplaceSýnishorn

Because self-aware leaders know they don’t know it all, they should always keep a humble attitude with those whom they lead. Pride may seem powerful on the surface, but usually it’s just a sign of weakness and insecurity. Pride refuses to deal with our own sins, and it puts our trust in ourselves, which is never a good place for trust. Pretense, anger, and fear all clamor to bear the bitter fruit of pride, but honesty, healing and love are the fruit of humility.

That’s why the apostle Peter tells us we should “clothe” ourselves “with humility toward one another” and “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). It’s hard to hang on to humility. Mine often has a fast-approaching expiration date. But we must, as Peter suggests, strip away our pride and clothe ourselves with a humble attitude if we want to do God’s work in God’s way. And if we don’t, our pride will catch up to us. As Jesus said, “If you have a lofty opinion of yourself and seek to be honored, you will be humbled. But if you have a modest opinion of yourself and choose to humble yourself, you will be honored” (Matthew 23:12 TPT). Yes, pride will catch up with us if we don’t continue to seek humility.

How do we know if we’re short on humility, if ours has a fast- approaching expiration date? We can ask ourselves these seven questions and answer them honestly: 

1. Am I easily hurt and offended, or am I slow to become angry and quick to forgive? 
2. Am I directive and impatient, or do I listen to people with empathy and kindness? 
3. Am I quick to give pep talks, or do I recognize a wounded heart and offer comfort? 
4. Do I always expect others to serve me, or do I seek to serve others? 
5. Do I strive to succeed no matter the cost to my relationships, or do I embrace the success of others? 
6. Do I think only of myself, or do I think more of others and the Lord? 
7. Do I always have to be in control, or can I rest and accept the input of others?

If you’re like me, these questions are pretty challenging to your leadership style. But I’ve found that only “in Christ” can I become the kind of person the second half of these questions point toward. Jesus was the greatest person who ever lived, but He was kind and gentle and humble. Only self-aware leaders surrendered to Christ can qualify to lead in humility!

Spiritual leaders understand that God uses imperfect people to fulfill His perfect will. And they do that through the power of vulnerability and humility.