26 November

Humble yourselves
Peter writes, ‘Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another’ (v.5). Whereas ‘God opposes the proud’, he ‘gives grace to the humble’ (v.5b). Humility is a choice. It is something you are required to do to yourself: ‘Humble yourselves’ (v.6). Humility is an act of the will.

Humility, as C.S. Lewis points out, is ‘not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.’ There is a strong link between humility and grace. Because grace is free, the only appropriate response to grace is humility

You can cast all your cares on him. There is nothing too big or too small to hand over to him. Thomas à Kempis wrote, ‘They travel lightly whom God’s grace carries.’

Staying peaceful is evidence that you have humbled yourself before God, and that you trust him to do what needs to be done.
Daniel
We see the four friends co-operating with their employers, but without compromise. They refuse to conform, but they throw themselves wholeheartedly into their new situation and career. They undergo three years of leadership training and preparation. They allow their names to be changed to reflect that they are now part of the Babylonian administration, and subsequently they all seem to pursue successful careers.

At the same time, they resolved not to compromise their beliefs or defile themselves. You can defile yourself today by the kind of films and TV you watch, the internet sites you visit, or the things you listen to. ‘Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine’ (1:8). (This was perhaps because the royal food had been a sacrificial offering to the Babylonian gods.) They never allowed their commitment to their new careers to trump their higher allegiance to God.

Like Daniel you are called to live a life of purity and be totally at peace. Follow Daniel’s example and be comfortable in your own skin and walk in a close relationship with God.