Exiles: A Study in 1 PeterSýnishorn

No one likes being told what to do. But rebellion against rules and authority really boils down to this: pride. You think you know better and want to go out of your way to exercise a different option. But, as Solomon writes in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction.” And even more so, Peter writes at the end of this passage that if you’re prideful, God opposes you! (v. 5) I don’t know about you, but neither of those outcomes sound desirable for my life. So how do we avoid that? By humbling ourselves and listening to authority. In this case of “authority” here, Peter is referring to the elders of the church. What is an elder? Elders were those at churches assigned to shepherd the flock - what you might see now as a pastor. And Peter is challenging those who hold that position at a church here to do it willingly (not out of guilt or pressure), eagerly, and with integrity so that they “exercise their oversight” (v. 2) well. And for those who are younger or, simply just not a pastor (so the rest of us), they’re called to be subject to authority (v. 5). Boo. Again, most people don’t like that! It’s in our human nature to rebel against rules and authority. I mean literally the first two humans God created, Adam and Eve, did it within what was seemingly the first 5 minutes of their existence. But even though we’re wired to be selfish and rebellious, we’re called to something higher. Humility. In fact, Peter challenges all of us (both people in church leadership and those who aren’t) to clothe ourselves in humility every day. When you wake up in the morning, the clothes that you wear to school or work or whatever daily function you're engaging with aren’t magically on your body. You have to intentionally put on your socks, pants, and all the other items of clothing you need to wear. It takes a purposeful effort and knowledge of why you’re doing it and what you’re wearing it for. Same thing with humility. It’s not something we stumble into every day, but something we intentionally step into. And whether you’re the one exercising spiritual authority or listening to a spiritual authority, humility is needed. To hold authority requires an understanding where that power comes from and to steward it well and to listen to authority requires an understanding that maybe you don’t know everything and are willing/able to change. So intentionally step into humility today and watch how God works through you.