Tracy Adventist Church

LOVING, SERVING, AND GROWING THE KINGDOM ONE PERSON AT A TIME

1 Peter 5:6

"Be humble under God's powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes." (NCV)

What is God saying?

God's followers should not be focused on making themselves important - instead they should focus on having the right spirit so that they will be ready for when God uses them in important ways.

What is God saying to us today?

People seem to have different opinions on what makes a person humble. Is it someone who doesn't talk about themselves? Someone who always deflects praise? Someone who is patient? Someone who has good morals? And what about false humility? Nobody likes a person who emphasizes their inferiority only so others will give him/her attention and praise, do they? Different writers, sociologists, and psychologists all seem to have slightly different definitions and descriptions of a humble person. So what is God talking about here? Well, when understood within the theme of other-centeredness that we find throughout Scripture, it makes sense that God's idea of a humble person is someone who works to build up others, not themselves. We can focus on others' success, because we know that God is focusing on our success.

What is God inviting us to do?

Are you exhausted from trying to make yourself a success? God invites us to shift our focus from ourselves to others, and trust that His powerful hand is at work to bring us success when the time is right. 

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