“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.”
Do you recognize when you struggle with humility?
Everyone struggles with submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ – whether that struggle is with choosing sin over the way of Jesus or assuming that our knowledge is greater than Jesus’. Pride creeps into our lives when we begin to elevate our preferences, desires, or dreams above what Jesus has for us.
Peter commands us to “humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God.”
Humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God is easy work. How is submission easy work? Because God, in His infinite love and wisdom, is the perfect leader.
- He lifts us high in the lowest valley.
- He gives grace upon grace.
- His mercies are new everyday.
- He will never forsake us.
- He created our potential.
God is worthy of our praise and worthy of our submission. Choosing to lay down our pride to humbly follow Jesus is the greatest decision you can make each day. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24-26)
Few people will follow a fool for more than a short amount of time. Frustrations will settle in when you notice that the person that you are following isn’t compassionate, competent, admirable, or strong. It is difficult to follow someone who isn’t able to lead.
This is not the case with God. God’s mighty hand protects, corrects, and guides His people. God is worthy of our praise and submission.
Live It:
- Is your desire to draw near to God?
- Which area of life do you have the most pride?
- How can you repent of that pride and humbly submit to God today?
Chase Snyder
Writer, Pastor
