Text: 1 Peter 5:1-11

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” —1 Peter 5:5

The foods we consume have expiration dates. Anyone who has ever drank a glass of outdated milk or bitten into a rotten apple will have keen sensitivity to this. Just as natural fruit has a limited shelf life, so does the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Humility is one of those fruits, and it does have an expiration date.

For some, the effective “shelf life” of humility may expire in a few days. For others, we may be talking about hours or minutes. Any deficiency of humility makes us vulnerable to having a heart dominated by pride, where sin can incubate. Selfishness, ego, pretense, resentment, bitterness, anger, and grudges all thrive where humility has expired. How can a heart’s humility be replenished before it expires?

In terms of discipleship, Peter uses the very practical example of our daily, sometimes multiple times daily, changing of clothes to illustrate this:

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:5-7)

We need to put off the old, soiled undergarments of pride and replace them with the new clean garments of a submitted heart to God and a selfless heart toward others. And we need to do it repeatedly! We need to draw near to the cross over and over again, having the self-life crucified daily because yesterday’s humility is not sufficient for today. Peter makes it very clear that pride invites opposition from God, while humility attracts our heavenly Father’s favor.

Each morning, before we engage the world, we can ask the Holy Spirit, “How does my heart look?” Here are some helpful questions for us to ask our souls to discern if humility is close to expiration:

• Do I expect others to serve me, or am I seeking to serve others?
• Am I easily hurt or offended, or am I slow to become angry and quick to forgive?
• Do I listen to others with empathy and kindness, or am I directive and impatient?
• Do I sincerely celebrate another’s success, or am I secretly driven to envy?
• Am I asserting selfish ambition, or am I laboring for the good of others?
• Am I being overly conscious of myself, or intentionally conscious of God and others?
• Can I rest and not strive, or do I have to be in control?

Jesus is our ultimate example and source of humility. He told His followers, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I confess my pride and self-sufficiency. By faith I humble my heart and yoke up with your gentle and loving heart, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. How would you define humility?
2. When are you most vulnerable to pride and self-exaltation?
3. Why do you think Peter connected anxiety (v.7) to this context of pride and humility?
4. What does it practically look like for you to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God?