1
Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. NIV
Once
again, in this first epistle of Peter, we are given instructions for Godly
living. Peter tells his readers to “humble themselves.” That directive brings
up two important questions. One, what does it mean to humble one’s self, and
two, why should I do that? Without answering those two questions, it is highly
unlikely that any believer can truly follow Peter’s charge.
The
word for humble is tapeinoo in Greek.
According to Strong’s, it means to depress or humiliate (in condition or
heart). Many people take this to mean that we should act as though we are
worthless or not important. The Bible certainly does not support that and Jesus
did not teach that. Look at what He said in Matt 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable
than they?” (NIV)
Jesus
thought of us as being so valuable, that He would willingly sacrifice His very life
for us. He does not want us thinking that we are not valuable, but instead, to
not think of ourselves more highly than we should. The apostle Paul states it this
way in Rom 12:3 “For by the grace given
me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you
ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the
measure of faith God has given you.” (NIV)
When
this letter was written by Peter, the church was beginning to suffer persecution.
The implication in this letter is that believers were wondering why they had to
endure this persecution. Why was God allowing them to go through this
suffering? Peter is telling them that though they may not know the answer to
that, they should still submit themselves to God. They needed to understand
that the humbling of self, is just the realization that they are under “God’s
mighty hand” and whatever happens to them is ultimately under His control.
Peter
had already spoken about this earlier. In 1Peter 4:19 he states, “So then, those who suffer according to God's
will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do
good.” (NIV) The persecution of these believers was soon to escalate
severely, yet Peter reminds them that their
Creator is faithful. That reality
answers the question of why they should follow this directive. They serve a
faithful Creator, who calls them to holy living, in spite of their
circumstance.
There
are two more good reasons listed, that encourage their obedience. One is a
negative consequence to those who will not humble themselves. 1 Peter 5:5 says,
"God opposes the proud but gives
grace to the humble." (NIV) It is simple. If you are prideful, God
opposes you. Pride is the sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. It is
condemned over and over in the scriptures.
But
look at the positive benefit given to those who would humble themselves before
God. He gives grace! Not only that,
but our key verse tells us that in due time, He will lift you up! That word is
translated in the KJV as exalt. Literally, it means to elevate. Jesus said the
same thing in Luke
14:11 For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (NIV)
When
is this due time? Well, it’s interesting that this same phrase is used in a
parable Jesus taught in Matthew 24 concerning His second coming. The point He
makes, is that a faithful and wise servant is one who takes good care of His master’s
property when the master is away, not knowing when the master will return.
The
point for these believers and us as well is clear. We are called to be good stewards
of the gospel, by our deeds as well as our words, until the return of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are told to do this, no matter what our circumstances
are, in humble obedience to Him. We are to trust in His grace and mercy. That
humble obedience will be rewarded at
the return of Christ, when we will be exalted at the judgment (bema) seat. (See 2 Cor 5:10)
What
a great day that will be! I encourage you today to humble yourself before the
Lord, no matter what your circumstances may be. Remember that you are in His
mighty hand. Determine in your heart to live the Godly life He has called you
to and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live that life!
God
Bless you,
Coach
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