Ever So ‘Umble

Humility has had bad press ever since Uriah Heep, an unlikeable character in Charles Dickens’s book David Copperfield, described himself as living in an “‘umble” abode and having picked up so much “‘umbleness” at school.Yet humility is the focus of Peter’s message here, which he addresses first to church leaders, those at the top end of the authority spectrum (1-4), before turning to the younger members of the church (5). He emphasizes that all of us, whether we are church leaders or not, are called to humility (5b). Clearly some of the elders were throwing their weight around and needed correcting! So Peter reminds us of the example of Christ (4) and the desire of God (2). “Clothe yourselves with humility,” urges Peter. It’s a daily habit that, just like getting dressed, should become second nature. And it goes hand in hand with throwing all our anxieties, all our worries and cares, onto Christ. By handing those over (“throwing them hard” or “hurling them,” v. 7) to Christ, we free ourselves to be dressed in humility and to respond to the needs and anxieties of those around us. Look at verses 4 and 6 to see what the reward will be!