Friday, September 23, 2016

As we continue our inductive Bible study of 1st Peter 5 let’s look at what Peter says about followership. He makes a transition from leadership to followership in verse 5, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.” He continues, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” What does Peter mean when he writes, “in the same way”? Leaders have their own concerns as they seek to care for those in God’s flock. They need to commit themselves to God as they carry out their assigned responsibilities. That can be humbling at times. Young men are addressed as needing to be submissive toward those who are elders, who are called and appointed by God to care for them. Young men often want to do their own thing, thinking they know best. In fact, they often have good ideas and plans, but they have not been tested over time. Submitting themselves to the elders and/or those who are older, out of respect for their tested experience, is wise and requires humility and patience. So what Peter means when he writes, “in the same way,” is that we are all on the same plane, leaders and followers. “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” This is wise, if we want to nurture healthy relationships with one another, but also because it frees God to bless us all, whether leaders or followers: “because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” We’ll look further into the matter of humility in working together for God’s glory.