1Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly; 3not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. 4When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
5Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. 10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
What are You Doing with Your Anxiety?
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Once again, Peter hits a home run. Again and again, he tells us how to live the Christian life. As a little boy, my mother taught me 1 Peter 5:7. It became one of my “life verses.” There is a lot going on in that little verse that brings so much comfort. There are great theological truths that help make that promise a reality in the life of the believer. First, Peter tells us to humble ourselves. Our rebellious human hearts have such a difficult time being humble. We perpetually desire to make everything and anything all about us! We've all met that person who is a “know-it-all”. Their attitude is so frustrating to observe because usually the “know-it-all” has a life that is turned upside down. They can’t get their own act together, but they’re intent to let everyone who could help them know that their advice is not wanted. These are “know-it-alls.” They are the opposite of a person having a humble attitude. An attitude of humility says, “I have much to learn in my life, and I want to learn what I can from you. Because the reality is that I just don’t know it all.”
Part of the danger in being a “know-it-all” is that you imagine yourself to be the solution (at least in your own mind) to all of your problems. It is an impossible task. It leads to anxiety, depression, a bad self-image, insecurity, deflection, and a bad attitude. The Bible is very clear here. Stop tooting your own horn. Stop bragging about having done this or that. You may not see your blathering as bragging, but if you’re insistent on everyone knowing all that you have accomplished, all that you are accomplishing, and all that you hope to accomplish, you are in great danger. You are destined for anxiety and heartache. Peter turns our attention from self to God, who cares for you and me, and who is the only solution for our anxiety and worry. He then tells us to be sober, self-controlled, and watchful. What can we make of that? Satan is on the attack, and he works on us through our own egos. Be aware. Be under God’s control, and realize what is going on.
Reader, perhaps you’ve grown blind to your own ego. Oh, don’t beat up on yourself. We are all subject to doing that from time to time. But, beware! Start with a humble heart. That is the key to throwing off that anxiety mentioned by Peter. You don’t know it all, so the sooner you admit that and reach out to God, help is on the way. And while you're at it, look around and be open to learn from someone who you feel might know less about everything than you do. The Holy Spirit of God can speak through the simplest of minds. Be sober and watchful. Be on guard that you yourself don’t get in the way. It’s not all about you. It’s all about God. It is such a relief when you realize that you’re not God. As my sweet little momma used to say, “Son, cast your cares on Him for He cares for you.”