Choices!

Choices!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time,

1 Peter 5:6 AMP

The Context and Focus:

In order to fully appreciate the weight and depth of the verse above, it is important to read and understand the verses that come before. The writer of this letter, Peter, was one of the disciples who followed Jesus as He preached, taught and healed people, and he was also there when Jesus suffered and died on the cross, and was later raised from the dead. Peter was also there when Jesus went back into heaven, after having left all his followers the charge to be witnesses and heralds of all they had seen and heard from him to all the world. Peter was also there when the Holy Spirit came upon all of them as they waited in Jerusalem for the promise, and it was this same man who preached the first sermon in the book of Act, where 3,000 people were saved. It was not always this nice for Peter, as he also had his moments of doubt and despair, but one thing that he learnt from Jesus was his heart and lifestyle of humility and patience. With all the baggage that Peter represented, many a leader would have been exasperated and would have turned Peter away, but not Jesus. His life and pattern serves up the perfect example of what a servant's and a leader's heart should look like.

The Message:

The message by Peter is for both the young people, as well as the elders of the church. There is a general assumption that with age comes a bit of experience and depth, and while that is quite true, there is a depth to the fact that the better experience comes from a total surrender and submission to the will of God. It does not matter how old a man is, or how long s/he has 'walked with' or 'worked for' God; it is only by total and continuous submission and surrender that a person remains connected to the Source that makes him/her relevant to the work of God. The elders are given a mandate, and the young people are also given a mandate, but the common wisdom for both parties is humility. Just to be a bit clear, humility is defined as 'the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance.' I note that it does not say one is not important, but it is not viewed as the most important quality of a person. I do not see myself as indispensable, or the most knowledgeable, simply because I seem to have a good grasp of the topic under review. As long as the earth remains, there will never be an end to discovery and advancement in knowledge, and it will be a sign of humility if a man can constantly submit to instruction and discipline, so he can learn and know more.

The Conclusion:

The other reason why humility is important is because of God's view about it. Just the verse before the one above makes it clear that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If a man fights you, you can plead your case before God, but if God is the One fighting you, to whom shall you appeal? The responsibility for humility is mine; asking God to humble me does not seem to align with the verse above. It is my responsibility to see myself in the same way God sees me: His child first and foremost, and a representative. I do not live for myself, or seek to promote my own agenda, but to simply live to please and honour God. That is the whole essence of a life that pleases God, and which God will be pleased to celebrate publicly. Imagine the effect and impact of God being the One to make you known to the whole world. I also note that the verse above makes reference to the 'appropriate time', which means that with God, it always pays to wait for Him to act. When He does, my life cannot fail to make impact. Self-promotion will not lead me anywhere, but may even end up in disgrace. I have a choice to make: promote myself, or let God do with me as He pleases. Both have an end, but one is permanent and glorious. Humility is the pathway to honour. Make the right decision today. God's time of favour is here.