Distance Devotions – April 23, 2020
1 Peter 5:5, 6 – The Problem of Pride
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time….
The issue of submission is found all through the Bible. The one with which we are mostly likely to be familiar is for the wife to be in submission to her husband. It might well be the most controversial as well. Most of that comes from a misunderstanding of what submission means. It does not mean the wife loses her identity, ceases to have a say in family matters, or must do everything the husband says. A godly husband will make the submission of a good wife an easier matter than one who is carnal and demanding. No wife should follow her husband into sin regardless of what he says or threatens to do. That is not submission, but is in reality subjugation and the Bible does not teach that.
Submission is the first step in becoming more spiritual. You will never be more spiritual than you are submissive to the clear teachings of the Word of God. It show us to be ready disciples, ready to follow, ready to serve, ready to live for Lord who died for us. Pride is the obstacle to submission. The wife says, “I’m not submitting to him!” The carnal believer says to the pastor, “Who are you to tell me what to do!” Pride is that part of us that wants to control and run our own life. Yet, we read in our text that God resists pride. I do not want to be opposed to the will of God for my life. In order to make sure, I must be submissive to Him.
Pride will feed on the best parts of you. Perhaps you sing well. If you are not careful, you will begin to compare yourself to others and think that you can sing better than someone else. Perhaps you have servant heart. Yet, if you are careful the devil will cause you to be proud of your humble service. Sounds like a paradox doesn’t it? Perhaps one thing some pastors needed to learn from the COVID-19 quarantine was that buildings are not nearly as important as people. It is easy to get used to our routine and gauge everything by that standard. All of us are learning to do with less attention to our hair than we like. Pride is insidious. It sneaks up on us and has us before we recognize it. We all love our children and grandchildren, but even they can become a point of pride if we are not watching. It is not without importance that the Bible says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time….” If you have not done so recently, ask the Lord to show you if there is some prideful sin in your life. If you allow pride a place in your heart, it will spoil you and, worst of all, God will oppose you. Surrender and submit to Him today. You will not regret it, but be prepared for the Lord to delve deeply into your heart and show you things that you have allowed. You will grieve over some things. You will be closer to Him and grateful that He put His hand on these areas of your life.
Pastor F. J. Weems III