Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...
They all have to eat humble pie. Hah! Peter exhorts the young men to be submissive to the older ones in 1 Peter 5:5-7. He tells them, and the elder ones to both be humble; to use humility towards each other.
I suppose the older men, with their many years of experiences of life may well get frustrated with younger men when they don't "get it", and don't want to accept advice from them. The older ones can see and know the problems the younger ones will bring upon themselves yet they turn a deaf ear away from their elders. This happens a lot.
In fact, recently I heard from one young man still in his final year of university and putting out feelers for a job, say, that in one interview he went to, the company only wanted those employees to be between the ages of 25-30. This group were "in the know; the cutting edge of modern day know how". The effrontery is astounding.
Yet I can also see how the younger men could get irritated and frustrated with the older ones who may be slower in doing things or in making decisions or because they won't try new ways of doing things, and even feel proud of their new techy knowledge yet frustrated because the older ones don't "get it" or "try it" or "accept it".
All of this causes mutual irritation and pride in their respective knowledge and/or experience. Thus, they have the exhortation to "clothe themselves with humility" and the reminder that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble".
This humbleness is not a false, self-strength humbleness which I think is not humble at all. This is placing oneself "under God's mighty hand"; that is, under HIS authority so that He will have that place of prominence in your thinking and actions. He's the Master; He's the all-knowing One. Submit to Him in humbleness so that your relationship with others will come out in humility knowing each of us is under HIS authority.
In this true humble state, God may then lift one up "in due time". Any anxiety we may have over putting our self under God's mighty hand to let Him be in control...well, give that to Him. He cares for you. He will do His best for you. Trust Him. Submit to Him.
In 1 Peter 5:8-10, there is a continuance of teaching of how elders and young men are to behave in a Christ-like manner. Not just these two groups however, but for all Christians to behoove themselves to exemplify. As we all don more and more of these characteristics and ways of conduct, we will indeed be more and more under the umbrella of God's mighty hand, and hence to humility.
Verse 8 entreats to be self-controlled. Self-control in many facets: in the sexual arena (See also 1 Corinthians 6:18-20); in anger; in shopping (of course this isn't in the Bible but self-control is needed in day to day living). Don't be complacent. Be alert to how we are living our Christian lives. Check and examine ourselves: are we submitting to God; are we being humble and submitting to each other? The list could go on...
Be alert as the devil would love to see us each fail in our Christian walk with Jesus. The devil prowls around looking for that chink in our armor; that loophole or inroad into us, ready to pounce. If we are not alert--BAM!
"Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Don't run. RESIST! Resist by being alert and self-controlled and submitting to God. STAND FIRM in your Christ-like behavior and faith and humility.
All this is also in view of the suffering we must all endure and the persecutions in whatever form and degree thereof. Stand firm in our faith in God and Jesus Christ.
We don't have to 'go it' alone. The God of all grace is there to back us up. In fact, He's the one to give us the strength to restore us (when we've failed) and to make us "strong, firm and steadfast" and to be characterized by an aura of God-induced humility. What a mighty God we serve!
~ERC 2016~
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