Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Leading with Humility and Faith 

Bible Reading:    1 Peter 5 : 1-11

Key verse:   Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s Mighty Hand, that God may lift you up in due time   ( 1 Peter 5:6)

DEVOTION

Apostle Peter is one of the most intriguing disciples that was close to Jesus and part of inner circle. The Bible says Peter was perhaps one of the only disciple who walked on water besides Jesus. He was only one of the few who on the night that Jesus was tried and crucified denied Jesus three times . However what is important as we trace the life of Apostle Peter , we see Peter as the one ,  who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah . Jesus also called Peter ‘ Cephas’ which translates to the Rock , on which Jesus says would build His Church. Peter as we read in the Acts of Apostles played a significant role during Pentecost and also was responsible for several miracles in the Book of Acts. This Peter who had denied Jesus in his later years was leader , the new faith Christians looked up to lead them after the resurrection of Jesus. Peter transformative  leadership and his influence on the early Church was so profound that in Acts of Apostles Chapter 5.15 , we see that people brought sick in cots out to the streets that when Peter passed by , his shadow would fall on the sick and heal them.. 
As we focus on today’s reading , from the 1 Epistle of Peter , chapter 5 , we look at theme that has been very important to Peter and that is humility.  The primary Greek word for humility is tapeinophrosyne and it literally translates as lowliness of mind , a virtue emphasizing mindset that recognizes one sole dependence on God and not on the world or its possessions.   Apostle Peter in verse 5 , requests the younger generation to clothe themselves with humility towards one another and that is because , God opposes the proud and shows favor to the humble and oppressed. I have chosen verse 6 as the key verse as we all need to humble yourself under God’s Mighty Hand and in due time , God will lift us up. The world which we live , we see large number of people , puffed up with pride, conceited and full of themselves. They seem to be narcissist , who only think of themselves and him or her being the center of attention in the world. . This mindset of pride is destructive and is totally opposite to humility and meekness that Jesus  demands from each of us. Jesus Sermon on the Mount , we see how  , Jesus teaches  the meek will inherit the Earth. These verses are profound as meekness or humility is virtue when imbibed into us, leads us to life of being humble follower of Christ. The world by its secular standards promotes arrogance and pride and we see that even in our children and often it makes them cool and lit before their peers but that is not what Apostle Peter describes in verse 6 and that is to be humble and lowly minded that God will lift us in due course of time. We have learn to be humble and teach our children to be humble as well. 
Let us therefore, strive to be people that are humble and meek so that we can be role models to this world . Let us not only be humble in the way we behave but also in our thinking and our speech . Let the  world around us, see difference in the way we conduct our lives.  We do not have to  brag and boast about the cars we drive , the houses we live or the fancy clothes we wear , instead like Apostle Paul says to the Church in Corinth ( 2 Corinthians 10.17) , let us   “ boast in the Lord “ . That should be our governing mindset on daily basis.  Each day like an athlete that trains himself or herself, we need to train our mind , our thoughts , deeds and actions to be men and women who are humble followers of Jesus Christ. 

PRAYER

Almighty and Gracious Lord , enable us to be children of God , clothed in humility and live a life of meekness and simplicity  , in  Jesus Name we pray , Amen. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“ For the Christian, humility, is absolutely indispensable , without it there can be no self knowledge, no repentance, no faith and no salvation ..  ‘ – A. W . Tozer

Abraham Kurien
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Houston, Texas.

Christian Education Forum
Diocese of North America of the Mar Thoma Church


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