Young Believers Learn from Mistakes (1Peter 5:5-11)

YOUNG BELIEVERS LEARN FROM EXAMPLES (1Peter 5:5-11):

After instructing the elder believers who are dispersed, Peter instructs the younger believers who need the guidance of shepherding care from the elders. Peter doesn’t recommend the elders to be domineering but be an example as that of Jesus Christ and he starts to instruct the younger believers with the example of Christ itself using a linking word. He instructs the younger believers to be subject to the elders for learning from their knowledge, expertise, and experience. He continues to instruct them to Clothe themselves with all humility toward their fellow believers, which is the most essential attribute for the followers of Christ as Christ Himself humbled Himself to the point of death at the cross, leaving all the divinity, dominion, and power. Throughout the Bible we could see many negative examples who had fallen in their Godly lives due to the proudness of their possession, prosperity, or power, So God opposes the pride but His grace is upon those who are humble. Therefore, younger believers who are swifter and energetic needs to humble themselves under the mighty hands of God. Because God will exalt them at a perfect and proper time through His ever-enduring care and by carrying His children’s anxieties for giving them a joyful life.

The Believers ought to keep their words truthfully by walking according to it faithfully, so that they could be sober-minded and watchful. The adversary for all believers is the devil who tries to separate the believers from God. The devil is awaiting to devour and condemn the believers as that of the roaring lion which is seeking to devour something, showing its pride. The believers should resist the devil by being careful and diligent, grow in the faith to be firm with both emotional and intellectual reasoning. We should be aware of many examples around them who had suffered or even fallen to the snares of the devil as it is not that a particular person is targeted by the devil but every believer who is in brotherhood in every part of the world, and experience the sufferings according to their circumstances.

The trials and sufferings by the believers need not be avoided but need to be resisted as it is much important for them to grow in the Lord. So, Peter doesn’t say that believers will not undergo any sufferings but he instructs them to handle the sufferings and gives instructions to them how they ought to be even after suffering for a little while. Peter says to the believers that God who is most gracious and who has called the believers to be partakers in the glory and the reward that they have in Christ during the Day of Judgment, will restore the believers from the sufferings, confirm their faithfulness, strengthen them to be fishers of men and establish them as living sacrifices or witnesses wherever they are. Peter concludes with Amen that dominion belongs forever and ever to God who is sovereign, eternal, loving, gracious, and righteous.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection

1.      What younger believers need to do?

2.      What does it mean by ‘Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another’? Why younger believers ought to do that?

3.      What does God do for the humble? Why?

4.      How the devil prowls around? Why?

5.      Why the devil is compared to a roaring lion?

6.      How the believers are ought to escape from the prowling devil?

7.      What kind of sufferings are being experienced by brotherhood throughout the world?

8.      Is suffering escapable? Justify?

9.      What does God do after the believers suffer for a little while?

10.  Why dominion belongs to God forever and ever?

11.  How we can resist the prowling devil in our practical walks of life, trials and sufferings?