Humble Yourselves

In John 13 the Sovereign Creator of the Universe—the One who was in the very form God, “rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet.” That’s our Lord and that’s our example and that’s our calling. Submit yourselves to God and to His ordained leadership and to one another and when you do you will find that you are able to Humble Yourselves.

These are closely related—you can’t do one without the other—submission and humility are so closely related that some have called them twins. It’s interesting to note that Jesus tied a towel around His waist before washing the disciple’s feet because Peter tells us to clothe ourselves with humility. The word for “clothe yourselves,” pictures a servant tying on an apron to work. We are to literally tie on humility—to wear it as a garment.

We find both of these in 1 Peter 5:5-7. I want to focus on verse 5, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

First there is a warning given. He knows us—he knows we are going to wonder why we are to humble ourselves so he quotes from Proverbs and says, “God opposes the proud.” The word opposesliterally means to set Himself against—God declares war on the proud. The most dangerous thing in the world is to have the God of the Universe in direct opposition to you and yet that is what Peter says is true of those who are proud.

Peter follows up the warning with a promise made, “…but gives grace to the humble.” He goes on to say, “…at the proper time he may exalt you.” The most dangerous thing in the world is for the God of the Universe to oppose you, but the greatest thing in the world is for that same God to be gracious to you. We are so man centered that we often look at what others can do for us or to us and we forget that the only thing that matters is the One who can “destroy both soul and body in hell.”

From the warning and promise Peter moves to a recognition that is needed. “Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God…” This an OT image that has our Sovereign God in its sight. The mighty hand of God causes us to recognize that God is the God in heaven and He is in control. We don’t argue with Him, we don’t bargain with Him, we don’t chafe under Him—we humble ourselves under Him.

God gives grace to the humble and it is by grace that we have been saved so let me point something—if you stand before God proud of what you have done to get to Him; you are not standing before the God of the Bible—you are standing before a god of your own making. When a man or woman comes before the God of the Bible, humility isn’t a problem because He is God and He is Holy.

One more thing—a warning, a promise, a recognition, and an application given. Verse 7, “…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” The phrase “casting all your anxieties on Him…” is a participle phrase that explains how we carry out the command. Casting our anxieties upon Him is a way of humbling ourselves.

The word cast means to throw something upon another person. We are to cast our anxieties and we are to cast them upon Jesus. Why do we do that? We do it because “He cares for you.” He knows what you are going through and He knows why you are going through it—take it to Him and leave it with Him. You trust Him.

Worry is a great sign of pride. When we worry and get anxious about things we do it because we are convinced that somehow we can fix it in our own power. Wiersbe said, “One of the great evidences of our pride is our impatience with God.”

Peter tells us that God “cares for you.”

So, how do I humble myself? If you will spend some time in 1 Peter 5, Peter tells us.

First, we’ve seen the phrase “casting all your anxieties on Him, but consider verse 8 and 8 and see the second thing, “Be sober minded.” CS Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” CJ Mahney said, “Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.” That’s the idea found in verse 8, “Be sober minded.”

Also, he says, “Be watchful.” It is so easy for pride to step in…every time I close the door to it, it seems to sneak in through the window! Keep your eyes on Jesus!