1 Peter 5:5-7

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.”   ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I want to be humble.  I don’t want to be proud. I don’t want the Almighty God to be against me, I want him to be for me. The problem is that my pride is so deceitful. I may catch myself being proud about being so humble. Oh boy.  

John Piper in his sermon on this passage said pride is self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Pride considers itself above instruction, it is insubordinate, it takes credit for what God alone does (like in the case of Nebuchadnezzar), it aspires to the place of God, opposes the very existence of God and refuses to trust in God. Finally, he said pride is anxious about the future.  

Whenever your heart starts to be anxious about the future, preach to your heart and say, “Heart, who do you think you are to be afraid of the future and nullify the promise of God? No, heart, I will not exalt myself with anxiety. I will humble myself in peace and joy as I trust this precious and great promise of God—he cares for me. 

This comes at a good time for me. We have uncertainties lying ahead in our future. Big decisions we have to make about our next steps. Leaps of faith we have to take. I have found myself being anxious, but I will preach to my heart: “Who do you think you are…” My God is the King of the universe and he holds everything in His hands. I will humble myself and cast my anxiety on him for he cares for me.  

Petrina Rangiawha