1 Peter 5:1-11 “Our Daily Life Values”
(THREE SECRETS TO THE SUCCESS)
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Today we will see “Our daily Life Values.” Today’s meditation is based on 1 Peter 5:1-11 such as ‘SUBMIT, HUMBLE, and DISCIPLINE.’
The simple definition of Disciple is the one who denies himself and takes up the cross (Matthew 16:24). I was going through the vision and mission statements of Jesus Christ found in Luke 10:19 and Luke 19:10 respectively. His VISION– “Empower the Disciples of Christ” and Luke 19:10 was his MISSION – “seek and save the Lost” (Mt.18:11).
To execute the vision and to complete the mission, we need to have three life values as checklists, namely submission, humility and self-control or disciple.
Illustration:
Some hundred years ago two team leaders adopted the same goal: Both sought to be the first to lead an expedition to the South Pole. Once made, the decision presented with them countless choices. Selecting the cloth to wear, food to eat and the mode of transport, etc.
Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, gleaned from Inuit methodology the best type of equipment and clothing to use. He chose the dogs to pull the sleds.
Robert Falcon Scott, the naval officer chose to use ponies and modern motorized sledges. He was a brave and daring man but did not prepare like Amundsen.
As they were nearing the Transantarctic Mountains ponies became weak and died, motors stop functioning but dogs kept moving. Amundsen became winner but Robert lost the race and incurred loss of lives and properties because of pride and poor planning.
Our choice of living is going to determine our destinies “Chose to do what you can do, not what you want to do”.
“Some decisions made as a result of ignorance, rebellion and stubbornness can have lifelong repercussions”. “Successful people generally set goals and objectives; highly successful individuals make evidence-based decisions that move them deliberately toward those goals” (from Celebrations: 7th Day Magazine).
1. Be a Leader (1Peter 5:1-3)
- Under your care
- Watching over them and Serve
- Not lording over them
2. Be an exemplary leader (5:4)
Be an example in three important areas of life, submit to the Lord, humble before men and God, and discipline yourself day after day.
1. SUBMIT
1 Peter 5:5. SUBMIT YOURSELVES to your elders (NIV). Be subject unto the elders (ASV), lesser rank and experience be subject to your elders seek their counsel (amplified). Be submissive to those who are older (EHV). Be willing to be under submit/be subject to older people or the elders (EXB). Place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders (GW). Follow the leadership of those who are older (TLB). Should willingly support the leadership of the elders (TPT).
The submission of Jesus is described in Philippians 2, Hebrews 1, 2, 5. Jesus has given himself to be subjected as little, feeble, weak personality in the hands of Mary and Joseph. He accepted the silent period in his life- “kenotita” (Luke 2:7). Christ made himself nothing (Philippians 2:7), and made himself of no reputation. The concept of empty is “KENOSIS” in Greek.
This kenotita is Morphe instead of schema. Morphe is “an essential form it never altars, expression of the reality”. Schema is “an outward, temporary, changes from time to time, circumstance to circumstance, person to person and situation to situation.”
As Peter says, Jesus never gave place for violence, grasping, exploiting but completely existed with MORPHE. Christ became Jesus not an avatar but an incarnation. It’s not temporary but permanent form. Empty yourself is core, means completely neglected and forgotten. His form cannot be changed once for all he became flesh. Marvin Vincent says ‘the self-denying zeal of Christ was for the salvation of others’ and not for his personal gains.
Do we take avatars or permanent forms?
Jesus exercised the servant leadership. Jesus taught his disciples to last of all and be servant of all (Mark 9:35). God the Father gives everything to People, exaltation comes from the Lord and our desires may not come true (Mark 10:40, Luke 1:52). Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).
Jesus submitted to do the will of God, that was his food. That was his aim and goal. The submission of Jesus was not better than others but solely his own.
Submission comes by Living IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD: CORAM DEO is a Latin phrase refers ‘in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the honour and to the glory of God’ Living before God in all areas of Life.
Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1). He was led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1). He fasted for forty days and nights (Luke 4:2, Mark 9:29). He was tempted (Luke 4:2). He acquired his power and strength from the LORD. Jesus Prayed to have intimate commune with God. Isolated intimacy with the Father was his main motivation (Mathew 14:22-23, Mark 1:35). His prayers were with such intensity of focus that at the end of His life He even sweat great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Coram deo was his anthem.
Franck DeCensom one of the contributors to the CBN.com says, “Jesus’ prayer life reveals that Jesus was having advanced intimate relationship with the Father and also having friendship with God (John 8:16, 16:32, and 8:28-29). His ministry for 24 hours a day, seven days a week did not prevent him to spend time in prayer, he engaged himself in conversation with the Father and with the Spirit (Luke 5:15-16). Gospel of Mark records that Jesus had time to pray very early morning (Mark 1:35), noon, evenings and in the nights (Luke 6:12). Prayer requires a wrestling in the Spirit with passion and fervency.
God is looking for a person who can pray and intercede for the nations (Isaiah 59:16). Ceasing to pray for the known people is sin (1 Samuel 12:23).
Opposite to submission rebellion - Korah (Numbers 16, 1 Samuel 15:23, Romans 13:1-7).
KORAH was a Levite of the exodus generation who became disgruntled by the fact that only Aaron and his sons could serve as priests before Yahweh (Numbers 16). Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 princes jointly rebelled against Moses. All these were highly placed leaders among people of Israel. Korah was shrewd, clever, and energetic, a man of a dominant and striking personality.
Korah and his associates were rude and ruthless in their behavior. They publicly charged Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:3). They turned the congregation against Moses (Numbers 16:41). His sin was gainsaying (Jude 11). Korah incited a rebellion among the people so that a large portion of Israel rejected Yahweh’s choice of leadership both religiously (Aaron) and politically (Moses).
Korah represents the person of contradiction, or speaking against, controversy, question, strife, abuse, reproach, or rebellion. The idea here seems to be, that they were guilty of insubordination, of possessing a restless and dissatisfied spirit, and of a desire to rule. Rebellion hurts many people. It hurts God first, then your friends, your admirers, your parents, your spiritual leaders, your community, at last you. Rebellion never can be an end. But repentance leads to new life.
William Barclay says that Korah stands for the man who refuses to accept authority and reaches out for things that he has no right to have. Austin Precept writes that to rebel against God's chosen leaders is tantamount to rebellion against Him (Numbers 16:30). Rebellion literally means speaking against or "talking back" reflective of opposition and/or rebellion. In Numbers 16:1-3 Korah spoke against means "opposed" or "contradicted" God's servant Moses.
Paul says that I was obedient to the call of God (Acts 26:19).
2. HUMBLE YOURSELVES
1 Peter 5:6: HUMBLE YOURSELVES, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Jesus Christ was a man of gentle, humble and meek spirit. He exhibited the humility through his servant hood leadership and culminated in Forgiveness. Jesus was obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8). Jesus learned obedience through suffering, he offered prayers with loud cries (Hebrews 4:7-8).
EM Bounds an attorney turned Methodist Clergy, spent many years in Prison for his conviction and ministry, he wrote many books. In his book titled “Essentials of Prayer”. He defines the Humility: “Humility is not abstraction from self, nor does it ignore thought about self. It is a many-phased principle. Humility is born by looking at God, and His holiness, and then looking at self and man’s ungodliness. Humility loves obscurity (insignificance) and silence, dreads applause, esteems the virtues of others, excuses their faults with mildness, easily pardons injuries, fears contempt less and less, and sees baseness and falsehood in pride”.
John Wesley’s covenantal prayer: “I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you, Praised for you or criticised for you. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and fully surrender all things to your glory and service. And now, O wonderful and holy God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it also be made in heaven. Amen.”
C.S Lewis “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
Pope Francis said: “The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love.”
Rabindranath Tagore “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”
Mother Theresa: “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.”
Micah 6:8 – “Walk Humbly.”
The humble person is teachable and successful. The proud person is arrogant and arguable and ruined. The proud person's vanity pushes him into conduct that will end in shame. The contrasting line in Proverbs 11:2b does not say that the humble are honoured, but that they have wisdom. Remember that honour and riches accompany wisdom. The pride has no wisdom and receives dishonour. The humble are wise and receives honour. Humility and wisdom seems to be tied together in a couple of ways.
Catholic Bishops Notes: Those who do not demand their due receive wisdom.
Matthew Poole says the Humble Keep from those foolish and wicked actions which expose men to shame.
Septuagint says "The mouth of the humble meditates wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2).
A rabbinic paraphrase of the second clause is: "Lowly souls become full of wisdom as the low place becomes full of water."
Gill comments: Humble followers, who reckon themselves the least of saints, and chief of sinners, and own that it is by the grace of God they are what they are, is true wisdom; they are wise unto salvation, and in the way to honour and glory; such humble souls shall be exalted (Luke 14:11).
Pulpit Commentary: "Mysteries are revealed unto the meek" (Psalm 25:9, 14). The humble are already rewarded with wisdom because their disposition fits them to receive grace and God's gifts (Proverbs 15:33).
3. DISCIPLINE YOURSELVES
1 Peter 5:8 DISCIPLINE YOURSELVES, keep alert (NRSV). Be alert and of sober mind (NIV). Control yourselves and be careful! (ERV) Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Our moral learned response makes us into the Image of God. We grow stronger by taming our wild infantile urges. Our urges which are against the Holy Spirit must be tamed, controlled, disciplined and directed by our morally educated will to do well.
Paul says that I am disciplining my body, we have to be qualified for the battle. No one will be crowned unless fights according to the law. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, discipline your body, train up your body. The body and the soul are interlinked. They are depended upon each other.
Olympic Medal: Ex., Vinesh Phogat lost her gold medal in Olympic 2024 at Paris because of 100g of extra weight than the permissible weight. Hebrews 12:1-3 “Let’s lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely” run looking unto Jesus.
No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. Hard work of farmers yields harvest (2 Timothy 2:4-6).
Self-discipline is choosing to do what’s right when you feel like doing what’s wrong. Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from Laziness and lethargy, freedom from expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness, fear and doubt.
Self-discipline is governing yourself. Its ability to regulate your thoughts, emotions, and actions in a godly manner. It’s to govern your mind, emotions, and actions according to the word of God. When we lack self-control over our attitudes, actions, and words, we derail our relationships, our lives, and our spiritual growth. (Dr. David Jeremiah, A life beyond Amazing, 2017).
Self-disciplined people do six things compulsorily:
* Master their moods: Proverbs 25:28
Tame their tongues: Proverbs 13:3,
Regulate their anger: Proverbs 19:11 (Mathew 5:5. Meek (Gk. praus) is an ethical word. Meek understood by Aristotle as ‘praotes’(character between orgilotes(excessive anger) and ‘aorgesia’ (excessive anger less). So clear understanding must be: Blessed is the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time.)
* Control their times and days: Ephesians 5:15-16
* Manage their economy: Proverbs 21:20
Bridle their Body: Mark 8:34-35. (Dr. David Jeremiah, A life beyond Amazing, 2017).
There is a thrill in conquering yourself, your inner demons. Everyone has a struggle with any one or most of these: Temper? Impatience? Honest? Thought life? Sex? Pride? Laziness? Self-centredness? (Dr. David Jeremiah, A life beyond Amazing, 2017).
In “The science of sinning less” an article in Christianity Today, sociologist Bradley Wright and Psychiatrist David Carreon found that people with self-control “live longer, are happier, get better grades, are less depressed, are more physically active, have lower resting heart rates, have less alcohol abuse, have more stable emotions, are more helpful to others, get better jobs, earn more money, have better marriages, are more faithful in marriage, and sleep better at night.” (Dr. David Jeremiah, A life beyond Amazing, 2017).
“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:11). Even St. Paul urges Timothy to live as an exemplary person (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Holiness demands outward and inward life. We must be an Open book in front of our own family members – wife, husband, children, grandchildren, siblings, relatives and Friends. No secrecy in Holiness. We must be more vigilant and watchful about what we utter, what we do, how we react in private and in Public.”(ABN)
‘The impurity of lust transforms one into a slave of the devil’ (Henry Edward Manning, Cardinal and Archbishop).
Conclusion: What is your success rate?
