Willing Submission in Good Hands

1 Peter 5:1-7 

1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”  6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Peter speaks as an elder to fellow overseers of God’s people, reminding them that He was an eyewitness of Christ on the earth as man and God.  He reminds them and us also that we will share in His glory, such as that he witnessed when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain before him.  Therefore the elders are to be good shepherds, leading and overseeing God’s people for the Lord, not themselves or their own power over men and women.  They are to do so with a joyfully willing desire, never just because they have to do so as a rule of law laid out to perform.  They are never to serve for personal gain of money or fame or control, but being servant examples, knowing they are first Christ’s servants under His shepherding.  This means serving with humility and submission to God and others to please the Lord at His return.  We are all to submit to those under-shepherds called by Him over us, with humility to yield to Christ through them as He enables with wisdom and grace.  Knowing that we each must yield to one another because God is set against us when we are prideful, we ought instead to find grace in humility under His mighty hand of authority.  He will lift us up as and when as He sees needed in His sovereign grace, so all our worry and concerns can be handed over to our great God and Savior.  We can safely rest in Him and His work in and through us because we know His loving care towards each of His children whom He calls to Himself.