2026 Easter Devotions
Wednesday, May 13
1 Peter 5:6-11
5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
“… Humble yourselves, …”
Humility before God is obvious. God is God and we’re not! As much as we’d like to be in control, have the last say, and determine our own outcome, that’s beyond our capability. It’s just not ours to have. God alone is God. Therefore, humility before God is a given.
We are also called to humble ourselves before others. This, too, seems counterintuitive. After all, we want to be the top dog, to be able to look at others and consider ourselves better than they. Condescension seems to be part of our human makeup. When we have someone who is worse off than us, lower than us on the totem pole, lesser in terms of human value and purpose, we often find ourselves puffed up. It’s as if we get some kind of perverse pleasure in seeing others struggle more than us.
Which is why humility before God and others is so critical. It is a reminder that we all – everyone one of us – is created in the image of the same God. No matter our skin color, ethnic heritage, place of origin, gender, economic status or social position. we are all images of the Almighty. No one is intrinsically higher or lower, better or worse. All are united as human beings created by the same God.
Therefore, humility is a requisite for Christian life. Recognizing both that God is God and we are not, and that we all share the same image before God is a stark reminder of our common life, our communal existence together. Knowing that certainly is, by its very nature, humbling.
Prayer: Lord, you are God. Before You, we bow in humility. Teach me also the ways of humility before my brothers and sisters in this world that I may live with them and You more fully. Amen.