The one another commands

Be Humble Toward One Another

A command of Christ for his church · 1 Peter 5:5

Be humble toward one another is the call to clothe ourselves with humility in all our dealings with each other. Peter says, be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humility is the garment that fits us for life together, and pride is the one thing that unfits us for it.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.1 Peter 5:5 (KJV)

What this command means

Peter paints a vivid picture: be clothed with humility, as one puts on a garment or an apron for service. The word recalls a servant tying on an apron to work, perhaps echoing Jesus girding himself with a towel to wash feet. Humility is to be worn openly toward everyone, the young toward the elder and all toward each other.

Humility is not thinking less of ourselves in a false, groveling way; it is thinking of ourselves less, and of others more. It is the honest recognition that we are dependent on God and no better than our brother. It stoops to serve, listens before speaking, and does not need to be first.

Why it matters for the church

Humility is the soil in which every other virtue grows, and pride is the root of nearly every conflict in the church. Where humility reigns, people forgive, defer, serve, and stay teachable. Where pride reigns, they compete, take offense, insist, and divide. A humble church holds together; a proud one splinters.

Peter adds the highest stakes of all: God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Pride sets us against God's own favor, while humility opens us to his grace. A community of humble people is a community God pours grace upon, and that grace is the very thing that makes true fellowship possible.

Humility is also the doorway to grace, and grace is what the whole Christian life runs on. Twice Scripture says that God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, and Peter adds, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. The lower we bow before God and each other, the more room there is for the grace that lifts and heals.

How we fail at it

We fail through pride in a thousand forms: needing to be right, craving recognition, resenting correction, comparing ourselves to others, and insisting on our own way. Pride hides well and dresses itself as confidence or principle, but it poisons our relationships and, worse, sets God against us.

We also fail by a false humility that is really self-focus, fishing for reassurance or refusing to serve where God has gifted us. And we fail by pride toward specific people, looking down on the young, the new, or the different. Peter's command is to be humble toward one another, leaving no one out.

How Christ enables it

Christ is humility itself. He who was in the form of God made himself of no reputation, took a servant's form, and humbled himself even to death on a cross. He girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples' feet, saying he had given us an example. The highest lowered himself the furthest, for us.

When we behold his humility, and see that the Lord of glory stooped to serve and save us, our pride is exposed and disarmed. We cannot look at the cross and keep our arrogance. As his Spirit forms his mind in us, we are clothed with his own humility, and grace flows in where pride once blocked it.

Christ's humility was not the mask of a lesser being but the free stooping of the highest. Being in the form of God, he took the form of a servant and washed his disciples' feet, then said, I have given you an example. When we see the Lord of glory kneel with a towel, our pride has nowhere to stand, and his Spirit begins to clothe us with the same lowly love.

How to live it

Put on humility deliberately, especially where pride tempts you most. Listen more than you speak. Receive correction without defensiveness. Give credit away and take the lower place. Serve where no one will notice.

Refuse comparison and the craving to be first. Honor the young, the new, and those you are tempted to look down on. When conflict comes, ask whether pride is at the root, and choose to humble yourself first. Remember that God gives grace to the humble, and clothe yourself accordingly in every dealing with the family of God.

Put on humility deliberately, especially in the places where pride tempts you most. Listen more than you speak, and receive correction without rushing to defend yourself. Give credit away, take the lower place, and serve where no one will notice or thank you. Refuse the endless comparison that measures your worth against your brother's, and honor the young, the new, and those you are tempted to look down on. When conflict comes, ask whether pride is at the root, and be willing to humble yourself first rather than waiting for the other to bend. Remember that God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud, and clothe yourself accordingly in every dealing with his family, for the lower you bow, the more room there is for grace.

Related commands: Submit to one another · Honor one another · Serve one another · All the one another commands