“All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exact you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 (CSB)
HUMILITY LIGHTENS OUR BURDEN
Since 2020, I feel like we have been frogs in the pot of ever-increasing tensions among Americans. We certainly are not lacking for things to divide us.
This passage from 1 Peter encourages us to embrace humility as both a garment we put on and a posture we take before God and others. To “clothe yourselves with humility” calls us to make humility a visible part of who we are. We are all image-bearers created to display God’s glory regardless of our circumstances. When we approach others with humility, we’re choosing to respect and value them, acknowledging that everyone is worthy of love and respect in God’s eyes. God honors this attitude by extending His grace toward us in ways we may not even expect.
God’s promise here is beautiful and freeing, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time.” This is not about looking down on ourselves or pretending to be less. It’s not about pretending at all. This call to humility is about real about who we are and our need for Jesus and surrendering our plans and purposes for our lives believing His are better. When we submit to His timing, we can rest knowing that He will lift us up and fulfill His purposes in our lives at just the right time.
Finally, Peter reminds us to “cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.” Early in our marriage, I distinctly felt the Lord telling me, “Sarah, before you complain about Curtis, just tell me.” What I have learned through bringing all of my concerns in marriage, parenting, work, and friendships to him is that most often, He’s inviting me to see Him more clearly and know Him more fully. Humility means recognizing that we don’t have to carry our burdens alone. When we let go of pride and self-sufficiency, we make room for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to strengthen and support us in all He’s calling us to, experiencing His care in a deeply personal way.
Peter’s warning about suffering, followed by casting our cares on the Lord, isn’t a coincidence. We are only able to suffer well when we allow the Lord to carry the heaviness of all that’s hard in our lives. As Christ-followers, we must develop our prayer life so that whether we are struggling in sin or weighed down by our circumstances, we run to our Father to tell him.
In his book Desiring God, John Piper wrote, “Prayer is not a task to be completed, but a relationship to be cultivated.” Today, let’s lean in and ask God to clothe us in humility, trusting His mighty hand and resting in His profound love for us. There’s a dying world that needs to experience our kindness and love for them in order to see the hope we have in Jesus.
Sarah Jefferson is married to Curtis and the mother to Grey, Sanders, and Collins. She is a rare Atlanta native, currently living in Acworth. Sarah began her career in public relations in the sports industry. Now, she is a high school English teacher Mt. Paran Christian School. When she’s not teaching, you can find her running or hiking the beautiful trails of north Georgia and spending time with her busy family.
