1 Peter 5 | How To Be Humble And Proud Of It!

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. Be sober-minded;
be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith,
knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced
by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered
a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory
in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 5:6-11

When I was a younger man, I used to make fun of myself a lot in front of other people. I thought that was a way I could show outwardly I was trying to be humble. Everything was going along fine until the day the Lord showed me I was actually being very prideful. When He convicted me about it, I asked Him how I could be proud if I was always speaking negatively about myself. He answered very simply, “Who are you talking about when you do that?” I had to answer honestly by saying that I was talking about myself. False humility is just the other side of pride’s coin. It desires the same thing, to be the center of attention.

Peter was a man who understood what it was like to let pride get in the way. He was the one who denied Christ three times to save his reputation and his skin. He was given an opportunity at redemption when Christ asked him three times if he loved Him reminding Peter that life wasn’t supposed to be about him anymore. He was to live for Christ. In 1 Peter 5, he takes the occasion to teach others from his own experience about the benefits of true humility.

1. We will be exalted at the right time in the right way, by God and not ourselves.
2. We can cast all of our fears and anxieties on Him, because He cares for us.
3. As we maintain the right mindset, we will recognize the schemes of the enemy and be empowered to resist him even when that leads to suffering.
4. In the end, we will be restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established by the truly humble servant, Jesus Christ, who is exalted forever and ever.