Next Level Humility

The Olympics is right around the corner which means we will soon be hearing the oft repeated phrase, “They make it look so easy.” There is no mystery why this is. When you do anything 10,000 times, it is going to become second-nature to you. You discover how things work, when to do this, why to do that, which way to adjust at just the right time. Much of this, however, comes by way of a coach. That coach is there to point these things out so you don’t fall into bad habits that must be unlearned before you can progress. All of this readily applies to matters of obedience and holy living, of which humility is a key component.

In 1 Peter we have verses where a unique two-fold application appears. I will mention the first level of application, but pay careful attention to the second level. It is there you will find that humility before God is far more practical and earthy than we typically realize.

Here is the first level of application from 1 Peter. Chapter 5 verse 6 says “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time…” At this level we learn that for all our habits of life, methods of thinking, and systems of organization, we need to submit ourselves to the one true God. Like a coach tells the athlete how to move, we must also be told how to live. We must not be like Eve, standing before the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, deciding for herself which option to embrace. God’s hand is mighty and we will find that what He crafted with His hand – morality, logic, and physical laws – will not be thwarted and undone. Instead of pushing against His hand, we must seek to be covered and protected by it. God has spoken in His word and we must listen and obey.

I would expect a few good “Amens” concerning that paragraph. Only if you are living in blatant sin would you argue against that. The surprise comes when we find that our passage in 1 Peter is not primarily about submitting to God’s word. It obviously begins there. But there is a second level of application that Peter is really focused on. The previous verse says, “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” That verse is the context that sets the stage for humility in verse 6.

This is the next level of humility. This is the nitty-gritty of true lowliness of mind. The kind of humility that Peter is concerned about is humility that submits to elders and to the people of God. Most Christians have no problem submitting to God and acknowledging His wisdom and His perfect judgments in every situation. Most Christians want to “do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) But it is a different story when it comes to taking advice from others in the church. We think, “They are idiots. They couldn’t find water if they fell out of a boat. Take advice from them? Not on your life. Hear out their concerns? It’s a waste of time.”

But Peter tells us that humility before God translates into being subject to the elders and being humble toward one another. This is the second of the two-fold nature of application mentioned above. We are first to listen to God’s word so that we don’t waste time leaning on our own understanding. But the second application occurs when we listen to the church, which is a “pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) The pride that God is against in this passage is the pride that causes us to ignore or refuse the input that comes from wise elders and faithful Christians. Think about that. If you sneer at a word of biblical instruction or exhortation from a faithful brother, then you have just aroused God’s war machine which will march against your pride. He does not deal lightly with those who deal lightly with His church.

Additionally, the grace that God gives will often come through those who He has put in your life by means of the local church. They are the main artery for His grace, and your humble listening ear is the open valve that lets grace flow. The “one anothers” are to be the multi-tool which will chisel and shape you into a godly mature person. But if you pridefully harden yourself like granite to their influence, God will have to use His hammer of discipline.

Godly maturity will only grow into reality if you do something 10,000 times. That something is the humble acceptance of the rebukes, encouragements, corrections, teachings, applications, and praises that are spoken by God’s people.