As the church, we received three important admonitions in the upcoming verses, according to Wiersbe. The first one, covered today, is to be humble. Peter commanded all believers to 1) submit to God, and 2) submit to each other.
"The younger believers should submit to the older believers not only out of respect for their age, but also out of respect for their spiritual maturity. Not every senior saint is a mature Christian, of course ... This is not to suggest that the older church members 'run the church' and never listen to the younger members! Too often, there is a generation was in the church, with the older people resisting change, and the younger people resisting the older people."
"The solution is twofold: 1) all believers, young and old, should submit to each other; 2) all should submit to God. Be clothed with humility."
"Humility is not demeaning ourselves and thinking poorly of ourselves. It is simply not thinking of ourselves at all! We can never be submissive to each other until we are first submissive to God ... It takes grace to submit to another believer, but God can give that grace if we humble ourselves before Him ... God resists the proud because God hates the sin of pride ... The only antidote to pride is the grace of God and we receive that grace when we yield ourselves to him ... Submission is an act of faith. We are trusting God to direct in our lives and to work out His promises in His time ... The mighty hand of God that directs our lives can also direct in the lives of others."
"According to 1 Peter 5:7, we must once and for all give all our cares -- past, present, and future-- to the Lord. We must not hand them to Him piecemeal, keeping those cares that we think we can handle ourselves."
Father, in our church life, continue to help me submit to my fellow believers. In the same way, if I am in Your will, help them to submit as well. Don't let pride crop up in the lives of any of us. Help us to put on the clothes of humility. Also, remind me that I trust You and have given all my cares to You. Handle them for me. Keep me out of Your way.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Gary Ford
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