Well, as we begin to look at 1 Peter 5, verse 5, my question for you is, "Do you value humility?" If I would watch the video of your last six weeks (I ask this question all the time.), would I see somebody who values humility? Are you impatient with others? Do you have to be in control? Do you like telling your story more than hearing the stories of others? Do you complain the minute life is a bit uncomfortable? Do you get mad when somebody decides to disagree with you? Is your life a life of humility?
Peter says this:
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. (Then he says this.) Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
I love that, "Clothe yourself." It's that physical image of deciding what you're going to wear, these external garments that you put on to go out and matriculate in the world. He says, "Clothe yourself...with humility." Here's, the humble self-view of the Christian life.
Here's number one: I am my biggest problem. There's no bigger problem in life than I am to myself because of the sin that lives inside of me.
That leads to a second humble admission: I cannot solve this problem on my own; I've got a problem that I can't solve with all of my wisdom, with all of my experience, with all my personality and personal power and mentality and emotionality-I can't solve my biggest problem.
Third humble confession: That means I'm in desperate need of rescue. The very word rescue means whatever situation I find myself in, I can't get myself out of it on my own.
Fourth humble admission: I am not wired to live well in isolation from others. I am not wired to live well in isolation from others.
Which means fifth: I need the wisdom and experience and insight of others. That admission basically means personal spiritual insight is the result of community-it's hard to get it by yourself.
Further humble admission: At no time before I cross over into eternity will I ever be a grace graduate. Grace is a school that I will never graduate from!
Seventh humble admission: All of this means in my life, I have no room for boasting because every good and perfect gift, everything that's worth celebrating, every blessing-I didn't deserve, I didn't achieve, I didn't acquire on my own; it is a result of God's grace and God's blessing and God's provision in my life.
Now, here's what's important to understand; pride is the mortal enemy of grace. If you're proud, you're telling yourself a different story than the humbling story I just repeated. That's the Pharisee in the temple who's looking at other people, and he's saying, "I thank God that I'm not like these people." He's basically saying, "Here I am God; I just want to announce to you I don't actually need you because I'm not like everybody else." The more you are in awe of you, the less you'll be in awe of God. The more you tell yourself you're okay, the more you will devalue His grace. Be honest-do you value humility?
