Peter writes '...all of you, clothe yourselves with humility...for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you '(1 Peter 5:5-7 NAS).

 

Peter expressed four very important thoughts. And he combined them for a reason. Let's look at each:

 

1) 'All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another...' Peter's expression '...clothe yourselves with humility...' referred to a white scarf or apron typically worn by servants. Did you understand that? We're called to be servants, not celebrities! 'All...' lets us know we all stand on an equal footing before the cross

 

 2) 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Those who are self-centered find themselves at odds with God, while the humble enjoy His blessings

 

 3) 'Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.' The phrase '...the mighty hand of God...' is used in Scripture to symbolize two things: God's hand of discipline, and His hand of deliverance. And you need both. So submit to His discipline today and you'll experience His deliverance

 

 4) 'Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.'

 

Peter addresses the core issue; worry that if we don't look out for ourselves nobody else will. But if we really believe that God '...cares for [us]' we needn't worry about serving our own interests. We can focus on the needs of others, confident that God will spare nothing when it comes to meeting our needs.