This is just working of the ego. I believe there are many examples in the Bible, in The Koran and in our everyday lives too, of people who believe they are holy and good, but in truth they are imperfect as we all are. Sometimes this will be revealed in a dramatic way. Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker come to mind. Their fall was a mighty one and we all remember the old adage "Pride Goeth Before The Fall." It's fine to have healthy self-esteem, but as you mentioned, some believe that through their works they are special to God, unique, and distinguished above others.

This is easy to do even on a small-scale, for any of us. For example, when giving charity, do we not feel a slight lift and self-satisfaction, for a moment? This is the ego shining through again. For most of us, that feeling passes quickly and we are back to our normal feelings....that we are no better or worse than anyone else. Of course we are holy but no more so than others. For some, they take this feeling with them and feel elevated all the time. It is pride and ego, having nothing whatever to do with holiness.

Humble and Humility are merely labels and words that humans use to describe something that cannot be seen with our five senses. Therefore, it is normal for everyone to have different perceptions and meanings to each of these words.

But to me, true humility and humbleness comes when you are able to accept that anyone out there is equivalent to you, and no one is really better than any other.

Meekness is the fruit of the true spirit, it is effortless, and comes from our higher self. Here is a chart written by Margot Zaher and Jafree Ozwald that helps determine to what degree you are currently operating from a soul based perspective or are coming from ego;

Ego ... Soul Based

Focused on what you are not getting ... Focused on what you are receiving from your partner

Feeling needy for love ... Feel completely loved no matter what your partner says or does

Seeking approval from your mate ... you approve of yourself and that is enough

Deep sense of insecurity ... Feel whole and secure because you love yourself

Jealous of your mate spending time with others ... Encourage your mate to spend time with others

Critical of yourself and your mate ... You are able to see the beauty and divine in yourself and your partner

You are blaming your partner for something that happened in the past, and could happen in the future ... You are focused on the beauty of relating to your partner in the now

Long list of expectations that must be met for you to feel ok ... Clearly setting your desired outcomes in the relationship and letting go of any attachment to them occurring

The biggest difference between soul based an ego based relationship is your ability to surrender and let go. When you are relating to your partner on a soul level, you deeply realize that everything that happens is perfect in its own way. You start to recognize the beauty of ... ref. http://www.enlightenedbeings.com/blog/2009/how-to-manifest-a-blissful-soul-based-relationship/

Humility grants the ability to surrender. It releases resistance, judgement, complaint and blame. Humility is the universal solvent of the alchemists.

Humility is of the healthy, positive ego which recognizes oneness and wholeness rather than separation. It is capable of unconditional self appreciation thereby allowing unconditional appreciation of everything. It acts harmoniously in realizing that what we do to others, we actually do unto ourselves. Self-realization is the key. Checkout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-actualization

A rigid, contracted and controlling ego is prideful, judgmental, unforgiving and rejecting of others. Its beliefs are based on the duality of I-not I. The not i can be perceived as threatening or mere properties. What can not be possessed must be controlled, manipulated or neutralized.

A negative ego causes rejection of undesirable aspects of oneself. These rejects are repressed or projected. These then vibratingly attract situations which causes us to ask: "why did this happen to me?".

Pride is the most insidious and pernicious emotion. Like a trojan virus, it is capable of emulating other emotions; therefore hard to recognize within oneself. Release techniques might help in dealing with pride.

Who can say, who is just? There is no problem being good at something, we all are good at something. Be happy with yourself about being good at something. If people are happy that you are good at this it is fine also. and it is in truth. But do not seek praise, doing something to be praised from another, it is not helping you and them neither. That is often a trap of your own making. You see most people are looking outside most of their lives, but they do not look inside. How can they know themselves? So their identity becomes what people on the outside label them with. And since being aware in this world is only a very small percentage of what we truly are, it does not represent us properly.

Then you need to look inside and know your self. Getting to know yourself:meditate, seeing the flow of thought, seeing the water and the spirit that you are, solving that inner conflict that division and iniquity in understanding, truth, harmony, until the water and spirit becomes one. It is the same for every one. This is a lot better then judging outside things as the problem, when everything comes from the inside and you are only responsible of your own free will. Very few will enter the narrow gate,and many are on the wide road of destruction. You see jesus did not lie, people out of their own ignorance and darkness not wanting to see the truth killed him. They have closed that light. Do you think that it helped anyone? From whom will they get those sayings? What is left, religion?

The disguised humility is from the outside like the pharises. that seek to praise each other and them self.That wash the outside of the cup but do not wash the inside.

The true humility is when it comes from the inside and is equal on the outside,not to seek praise or praise other but simply say the truth with no judgement or blame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLgcEcmtgxI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R5VwxvUUvI

So let there be light,Be the light that you can be,experience and enjoy.

True humbleness is not belittling yourself and your achievements. That is an insult to yourself. It is also an insult to God if you feel you are special and better than others. True humbleness is to appreciate what you are and what you achieve but as well recognize these same qualities in all others. To say that God made you special and better than others may seem to elevate that part of God, but it must be recognized it belittles everything else. It is like saying God messed up until he made you. Jesus himself didn't even do that, "I do nothing my self it is God the father that does through me.", "The things I do, you will do as well and even greater than these." That is true humbleness to recognize we do nothing of our own selves. As well we recognize and rejoice over our neighbors achievements as much as our own. In other words we recognize God is in ourselves but as well we recognize God is in everyone. We see how great and magnificent we are and rejoice but just as much see how great and magnificent all are. We are no better than everyone else but we understand that most do not know how wonderful we all are as God's offspring. This is why we do not elevate one over another. A very wealthy person may come in and get special treatment, he is used to that, next a homeless man comes on in and he gets that same exact special treatment. The wealthy man may object saying "Why do you treat him as well as you treat me?" He should have no such recourse as this, for he has his special treatment. He is not in some way denied because the homeless man was treated the same. Both are treated with the most respect as honored guest.

Both are a visit from God and treated with love and respect.