1 Peter 5:6 – Humbling Ourselves

Last week, we reflected on how humility is not something we can manufacture ourselves. The natural person, born into this world, cannot cultivate humility on their own. Instead, humility is a grace from God—a gift given to those whose hearts He has regenerated.

Humility is a disposition of the heart that, by God’s grace, enables us to see ourselves rightly and judge ourselves accurately. This humility doesn’t just change our perspective; it produces within us the will and ability to act in obedience to God. As we saw last week, humility is the grace that allows members of the church to submit to their elders. It is also the grace that enables believers to love and serve one another selflessly.

Now, Peter reminds us that this same grace of humility, wrought in our hearts by Christ, should lead us to quietly submit to God’s will. It enables us to bear afflictions patiently, without despising God’s providence or His discipline, as we journey through this life.

The Grace of Humility in Trials

When difficulties arise and hardships come, what is our usual, natural response? For many, it is to complain, to become angry, or to feel frustrated. We ask ourselves:

• “Why did I fall ill?”
• “Why does one bad thing after another keep happening?”
• “Why is life so hard? Why does it feel like a constant struggle?”
• “Why won’t things ever go my way?”

You don’t need to raise your hand, but have you ever thought these things? Perhaps you’ve even said them aloud. But have you stopped to consider that God may be producing humility in your heart through these very trials?

Humility is a hard lesson to learn, isn’t it? We often resist it because we feel we deserve better. We believe we are owed more—more success, more happiness, or more ease in life. Yet Peter calls us to a different perspective when he says, “Humble yourselves.”

Trusting the Potter’s Hand

This humility requires us to ask, “Who am I, as the clay, to question the Potter?” The kind of humility Peter envisions acknowledges that God’s purposes are higher than our understanding.

Some people complain or lash out during trials because they fail to see that everything—even hardships—comes from the hand of God. Without the Holy Spirit, such individuals often emerge from trials with hardened hearts. They grow angry, not only with their circumstances but with others: family, friends, society, or even God Himself.

For the Christian, this must not be so. We recognize that our trials are not random. They come from the hand of our sovereign, loving Father. Amos 3:6 asks, “Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?” Job understood this when he said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.” Even Jesus, when faced with His greatest trial, submitted to the Father’s will, saying, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Both Job and Jesus demonstrate that during trials, our focus must remain on God—on His purposes and His plans. They show us the importance of submitting to His will, trusting that He knows what is best.

Trials That Refine and Strengthen

Not only do we trust that both good and evil come from the hand of God, but we also take comfort in knowing that everything He directs toward His people is ultimately for their good. While we may dislike trials in the moment, many of us can look back and recognize how they have shaped us for the better.

How so? Trials refine us. They strengthen our faith, hope, trust, patience, and humility. They compel us to rely on God’s grace and exercise the spiritual gifts He has given us. John Brown describes the “mighty hand of God” as “the power of God in action.” When God’s mighty hand is at work in our lives through trials, it is not to harm us but to draw us closer to Him.

A Call to Rejoice in Affliction

So, when hardship comes, let us not complain, murmur, or grow angry. Instead, take notice of the situation and rejoice. Why? Because affliction is a sign that God is near. It demonstrates that His hand is upon us, shaping us for His purposes.

This perspective on suffering is unique to the Christian life. If the source of our suffering were evil for evil’s sake, we would have no reason to rejoice. But when we remember that the hand afflicting us belongs to the eternal, holy, righteous, and good God who blesses us in Christ, we can rejoice even in the midst of pain.

Ephesians 1:3 reminds us that God blesses us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Therefore, when we suffer, we can rejoice, knowing that God’s will is being done and that He is using these trials to draw us closer to Himself.

Humility and the Discipline of God

When we humble ourselves, we recognize that everything we experience—especially the trials—is under God’s righteous authority. Humility acknowledges that we are owed no good thing and that even the discipline we endure is just and deserved.

Consider the weight of our sins. If we were to reflect deeply on how often we transgress God’s law—daily, weekly, monthly—we would conclude, as Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:39: “Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?”

Instead of complaining when chastised, let us be glad. God’s discipline serves a holy purpose: to refine us, remind us of our sin, and lead us to repentance. It improves us by strengthening our character and making us more Christlike.

God’s Loving Discipline

The author of Hebrews explains the fatherly love behind God’s discipline:

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
(Hebrews 12:5-6)

If God disciplines us, it is because He treats us as His children. Earthly fathers discipline their children out of love, and we respect them for it. How much more, then, should we submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father?

To be chastised by God is a great blessing, for it confirms that we are His children. Those who humbly endure His discipline will, as Peter says, be exalted “at the proper time.”

Trusting in God’s Timing

Peter reminds us that God will exalt us, but not at our appointed time. He will lift us up at His proper time. God knows when we need to be brought low, how long we need to remain there, and the perfect moment to raise us up.

Humility says, “O Lord, I trust You.” It says, “Your grace is sufficient for this hour and every hour. Your mighty hand will guide, protect, and provide for me in every trial.” Humility embraces affliction, knowing it is for God’s glory and our ultimate good.

True humility does not demand to know when we will be exalted. Instead, it rests in the promise that God will lift us up at the perfect time, trusting fully in His wisdom.

The Pilgrim’s Path: Humility in Exaltation

Peter’s call to “humble yourselves” points to the ultimate outcome of humility: exaltation. However, this exaltation is not about temporal victories or fleeting triumphs in this life. While God may lift us up for a season, life on this earth often alternates between highs and lows. As pilgrims journeying through a broken world, we are not promised continuous relief from suffering here.

Peter speaks of a final exaltation—a day when God, through Christ, will lift us above all evil, suffering, and trials. On that day, we will no longer experience sorrow, pain, or affliction. This eternal exaltation is certain, secured by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s Example of Humiliation and Exaltation

Consider Christ as the ultimate example. In His humiliation:

• He bore the penalty for our sins.
• He perfectly kept God’s law on our behalf.
• He became a curse to redeem us from the curse.

Through His obedience and suffering, Christ achieved our justification, brought us into the New Covenant, and redeemed us from this present evil age. Because He endured, we are now joint heirs with Him, provided that we suffer with Him.

Suffering is an inescapable reality for the Christian. However, the certainty of our exaltation is bound to the work of Christ, who suffered for us and was glorified.

Joy in Suffering

Peter encourages believers to find joy in suffering, even when their lives seem filled with tribulation. For some, suffering may characterize their entire earthly existence. First-century Christians endured great persecution, yet Peter reminded them—and reminds us—that even if our trials persist until death, we can still have joy.

Why? Because our joy is rooted in the knowledge that God’s appointed time for exaltation is coming. At that time, He will lift us above all earthly struggles, fully and finally.

This perspective equips us to live as “suffering pilgrims,” knowing that every hardship we endure is preparing us for the glory to come.

Living Humbly Through Trials

Peter’s exhortation to “humble yourselves” is not a call to suppress emotion or deny the reality of suffering. Trials naturally stir our emotions—anxiety, fear, and worry often arise when we face hardship. These feelings are part of our human experience, and they are especially heightened in moments of trial.

However, Peter’s instruction challenges us to respond differently than the world. Instead of allowing anxiety to consume us, we are called to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, trusting Him completely.

Trusting the Mighty Hand of God

What does it mean to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand? It means recognizing that He is sovereign over every trial, affliction, and hardship. His hand—representing His power and authority—is active in our lives for our good and His glory.

When we endure trials, God’s power is at work to refine us, strengthen our faith, and draw us closer to Him. This understanding shifts our perspective from one of despair to one of hope and trust.

Rejoicing in God’s Purpose

In our suffering, we must remember that God’s ultimate purpose is to bring us into closer fellowship with Him. Affliction serves as a tool to remind us of our dependence on Him and to refine our character to reflect Christ.

We can rejoice in this truth because:

1. Affliction confirms God’s presence. When we experience trials, it is evidence that God is near, actively working in our lives.
2. Affliction shapes us for eternity. Every hardship we endure prepares us for the final exaltation when we will be with Christ forever.

Looking Forward to Eternal Exaltation

Peter’s final assurance is this: God will exalt us at the proper time. That exaltation is not merely a temporary relief in this life but an eternal lifting up in glory. On that day, every trial, tear, and affliction will be wiped away, and we will dwell in perfect fellowship with God.

Until that day, we live as pilgrims, embracing humility and trusting in the mighty hand of God. The promise of future glory sustains us through every hardship, enabling us to endure with faith and hope.

Conclusion: Resting in God’s Sovereignty

In the trials of this life, humility calls us to trust God completely. It says, “Lord, Your grace is sufficient for today and every day. I will endure, not in my strength, but in Yours.”

As we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, we rest in the promise that He will exalt us at the perfect time. This hope is the anchor of our faith, empowering us to live with confidence, joy, and unwavering trust in our sovereign God.

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To hear the full audio of this article, visit How to Live as Pilgrim Sufferers