Lip Service?

True humility is not keeping a nice smile on your face as you listen to someone criticizing something that you have done or said, while on the inside you are simply tolerating them and thinking ill thoughts towards them or judging them as unkind and immature.  Although you may appear humble to others, while the one doing the rebuking appears to be unkind and critical; God sees the heart.  There is more humility in reacting truthfully from the heart, even with anger, than there is to feign a receptive heart.  Although we cannot know for certain how well a correction is being received and appreciated by the outward appearances; those who are truly humble will eventually be thankful and love you more even if their initial reaction was less than humble.

Much lip service is given by many about welcoming correction.  I have yet to see that truth move from the lips to the heart.  Spurgeon echos this reality well:   

You may depend upon that man who will tell you of your faults in a kind and considerate manner. Fawning hypocrites, insidious flatterers, are the sweepings and offal of friendship. They are but the parasites upon that noble tree. But true friends put enough trust in you to tell you openly of your faults. Give me for a friend the man who will speak honestly of me before my face; who will not tell first one neighbor, and then another, but who will come straight to my house, and say, "Sir, I feel there is such-and-such a thing in you, which, as my brother, I must tell you of." That man is a true friend; he has proved himself to be so; for we never get any praise for telling people of their faults; we rather hazard their dislike; a man will sometimes thank you for it, but he does not often like you any the better.  C.H. Spurgeon