LIFE AS A SINGLE

 UNDER GOD, OVER MEN

Whether you are a CEO, Bishop, mother, or student staying alert is vital.  Competitors or the enemy are constantly seeking the opportunity to steal business or advance.  Sometimes it is the dream or vision that has not manifested. All in all no matter the walk of life we are in, we must BE ALERT!

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] 1 Per 5:8-9

The enemy is not carrying a pitch fork with horns.  He comes to steal your joy with gossip, criticism, cynicism, and lies.  The enemy desires to devour you through temptations, pride, jealousy or stress to drain. you  So we must be SOBER, sharp with his schemes, ALERT know your weaknesses, and Cautious that your pride does not entrap you.

Why? The enemy at ALL times prowls or seek who he can pick off and devour, which in the Greek means to swallow down whole or gulp. So we must RESIST our tendencies and BE FIRM in our FAITH with God’s methods.

When we see these verses in the entire context of the chapter we receive the full arsenal.  The habit of isolating these powerful verses Peter writes, limits the ability for us to BE ALERT.

In order to BE ALERT, Peter mentions we should:

 1.       Guide & protect those assigned to oversee
 2.       Ensure our Motivations are selfless, HUMBLE
 3.       Young seek counsel elders 
 4.       Serve with joy & enthusiasm
 5.       Humble

Before we hit number 6, NOTE the implications of humility multiple times.

a.       Not lording authority over those assigned to your care verse 3
b.      Clothe yourselves with humility verse 5
c.       God opposes the proud verse 5
d.      God gives grace to the humble verse 5
e.       Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God verse 6

In order to get to place of humility we must remember verse 6 states under the MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.  We must remember where our Source of ability, strength, and intellect reside.

We can literally see these principles in the story of Jonah.  Jonah a man of God was given instructions by God. Jonah chose not to come UNDER GOD to go to the people of Ninevah. As result of Jonah being under humanistic umbrella (lust of eyes, lust of flesh, pride of life) God sent a storm on the ship.  How often do we presume the STORM is from the enemy? Perhaps God is using the STORM to guide you back UNDER GOD. Yes, God in fact will use the chaos we create to bring non-believers to glorify Him.  As Jonah was cast away, he was DEVOURED!  That’s right, he was gulped up, swallowed down, by the fish or the enemy, but realized Jonah was not killed only devoured.  God in His Sovereignty gives us the opportunity to repent, even Judas had the opportunity repent.  The moment you repent and come UNDER GOD, that situation that has gulped you, swallowed you has to regurgitate you.  That’s not the end.  When the fish regurgitated Jonah, Jonah was right where he was supposed to be in the purpose God destined him to be. 

So remember UNDER GOD, IN GOD, in the midst of life mother, Bishop, CEO, or child, when we’re aligned with God then He will place us OVER MEN.