1 Peter 5 — Shepherd the Flock of God, Final Greetings
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Peter closes out this writing with a great reminder to be humble, to “clothe yourselves with humility toward on another” (1 Peter 5:5). Those who are elders, leaders of the church, need to lead with integrity and humility, “not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve” (5:2). Today I am free to serve and count it as a privilege to support those I can with all my heart. I trust God will figure out the details and find great comfort in this verse: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (5:7). This is the basis for the “Cares Chorus” by Kelly Willard, kinda old school by today’s standards, but a refreshing reminder to this old man! Thank you Lord for letting me cast my cares upon you. I trust you completely.
One final warning, “Be alert and of sober mind. You enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (5:8-9). Those who have lived long enough on this planet understand this warning well. The most encouraging part of this scripture is understanding we are not alone in our struggle. Satan would prefer that we miss this part, that we would think we’re the only one who has ever suffered such-and-such or that we don’t need to attend a church because everything is available via the internet (or tv). But such is not the case. More than ever we need to have a sense of belonging. This is why I hope to serve Christ as part of supporting church planters, those who start new churches, new communities of faith either as a completely new entity or an extension of an existing body of Christ (multi-site). This is exciting work and the mere thought of being involved with those who have been preparing this road is humbling indeed. We are not alone in the battle…never forget this axiom.