All of us are eventually called to lead somewhere – if it’s just leading a friend or caring for a child or directing an organization – we will find ourselves in a position of leadership where we get the chance to lead like Jesus. Pursuing humility, like Jesus did, is contrary to our natural desires and contrary to the way of the world. However, it is the calling of every disciple and grace is found by those who know they need it. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Get a Bible and work through the prayers, scripture reading, questions, and devotional reading below. May the Lord bless you as you do so. And may the Spirit of God work in each of us to shape us to be a little more like Jesus, today.

— Praise God with Me: (1)
O God, you summon the day to dawn, you teach the morning to waken the earth.
For you the valleys shall sing for joy, the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
For you the kings of the earth shall bow, the poor and the persecuted shall shout for joy.
Your love and mercy shall last forever, fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise.
Great is your name. Great is your love. Amen

— Let us read and reflect on Scripture:
A little background: This section of 1 Peter was written to leaders of the local churches. When these churches gathered, they likely numbered fewer than fifty, would probably meet in homes, and functioned much like extended families. In this section, Peter is speaking to the leaders (shepherds) of these churches and reminds them of the example of Jesus.

Come Holy Spirit, help us to accept who we are as we remember who you are!
I Peter 5:1-11 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

— Answer these four questions:
What does this passage say about God?
What does this passage say about people?
As a result of this reading, what is one step God is inviting you to take?
Who is one person you will tell about that step today?

— With a Heart of Prayer, Let us Respond: (2)
We cannot come before God unless we are first honest with ourselves about who we are,
about the mistakes we make, and about how well or poorly we care for others.
In this spirit, let us offer our prayers to God. Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.

— Let’s Gather Wisdom from One Who Walked with Christ before us: (3)
Many people have often been humbled, and yet they have not become humble. There is a great difference between the two. If God withdraws His grace and allows a Christian to fall into sin, that fall humbles him in the eyes of all good people, and yet he may not become humble. He may never give a true sense of how evil his actions have been. He may still persevere in his lofty spirit and be far from humility.
When this is the case, the proud spirit may expect a fall, for the rod will make wounds when pride is not abated with gentler blows. The most hopeful way of avoiding this humbling affliction is to choose to humble yourself. Be humble that you may not be humbled. Put yourself into a humble attitude and draw near to God in a lowly spirit, and He will cease chiding.

— Let us receive this blessing from God today: (4)
Receive this good news: We are sinners loved by God.
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,
that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
Let us live in the light of this good news!

Sources:
(1) From The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.
(2) With portions drawn from Psalm 79:9, NRSV as found in The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources, edited.
(3) From “Grace to the Humble”, an excerpt from Beside Still Waters, daily readings from the works of Charles Hadden Spurgeon (19th Century)
(4) From I Timothy 1:15 and I Peter 2:24 as found in The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources, edited.