Humility in our pride: November Devotional
This month's devotional comes from 1 Peter 5: 5-8 (NASB).
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Think back to a time where you knew you had done something particularly well. Maybe it was in a game, a concert, a play, on a homework assignment or test, or got through a tough obstacle, like acing your driver's test. All of these moments could easily be described in a single feeling--proud. We all should feel proud of ourselves and our accomplishments, but like with all things, there comes a time where too much pride can occur. It is in these moments St. Peter's advice is so crucial to us.
The main point of the passage above is that we, as Christians, should be humble people. Three times the command comes in one form or another.
Verse 5a: "You who are younger, submit yourselves [i.e., be humble toward] to your elders."
Verse 5b: "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
Verse 6a: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God."
So the main point is plain in these three verses: humility is essential in the life of a Christian. It is a defining mark of a true Christian. Our humility defines us because it defined Christ. He walked this earth with humility, even though he could have done so much more to cause those around him to believe. Christ, instead, lived a life that matched his birth, humble.
The remaining verses are Peter's advise to us. In verses seven and eight, Peter explains that our pride can get in the way of God exalting us. We are to be humble people because, if you are proud, God will be against you in your pride. However, if you are humble, He will give you grace, exalt you in due time, and care for you along the way so that you don't have to be anxious. Our anxiety is what can prevent us from seeing that all things are possible in Christ. We allow the temptations of this world and Satan to prey upon us.
There will be times in our lives where we can and should be proud of ourselves and our accomplishments. The point though is to realize and acknowledge that we cannot do any of these things without Christ. All things are possible in Him and without Him, nothing is possible. Walking along Christ is knowing that He sees our good deeds and he sees our successes. Knowing this can help you remember that you don't need the loudest cheer or the biggest award for doing something well because in the end God will reward you with something so much better, a place in Heaven.
