The Prerequisite
Be humbled, then, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the opportune time 1 Peter 5:6 NASB
Be Humbled – There is no better person to pen these words than Peter. The man who believed in personal power learned a life-altering lesson after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. Power brings defeat. If we want God to use us, we must turn from power to humility. The prerequisite to God’s personal concern over us is tapeinos (humility). Unless we willingly set aside our quest for control and our desire for recognition, we block God’s hand. He is capable and willing, but we are not ready to receive.
The Hebrew word translated by tapeinos is kana. The picture this word paints is dramatic. It means to experience life with an open hand. The metaphor of an open hand is exactly the opposite of the closed fist, a symbol of power and deed. In other words, humility brings transparency to life. When we are humbled, we experience life under the protection or control of another. If we serve the Lord, then we are under His banner and life becomes an open hand. No wonder the prerequisite to God’s concern is humility. Notice that humility is related to the mighty hand of God. The only way we can be protected when we are humbled is under His mighty hand. Since God welcomes our trust and dependence, we have nothing to fear. His strength covers us. Our lives become an open book to Him and He reads every word with care.
Peter points out that a life of humility allows God to bring about a time of exaltation. It’s important to know that the Greek word here is kairos, a word that means precisely the right moment. This is the opportune time; the time when everything is just right for God’s purposes to be accomplished. Don’t mistake God’s moment of exaltation with your plan. God decides when that moment arrives, not you or me. Our single pre-condition to God’s protection and purpose is to humble ourselves. Submission is the way to freedom.
Peter’s explanation of the connection between humility and grace is especially important in a culture that emphasizes personal power. Self-sufficiency, personal significance and independence are not biblical themes. In fact, God has little opportunity to use those whose goals are to be important. More often than not, God chooses the reluctant, not the clamoring. It is a sign of our depravity to see the masses worship celebrity leadership. Frankly, God is most interested in those who do not want the job because their success will be attributed to Him, not to them. Humility is not high on the world’s list of prized attributes no matter what the rhetoric. But it is at the top of God’s list. Without humility we cannot experience God’s mighty hand.
The practice of humility begins where we are most vulnerable to personal power. That means with my spouse and my children. How difficult it is to practice ego deflation in front of those who know me best. How painful it is to put away personal pride when I so desperately want to be right and recognized. But the biblical methods are backwards. Time after time, we must work against the grain of the world if we want to know the peace of God. Live backwards. Turn things upside-down. Resist the natural current. Be humbled.
Topical Index: submission, humility, tapeinos, kana, 1 Peter 5:6
