Another way in which God breaks our strength and pride is by correcting us through our leaders. Almost all believers find it very difficult to receive correction. It is not easy for even a two-year-old child to receive correction - especially if it is given publicly.
When was the last time you joyfully accepted public correction? Have you accepted it even once in your life? If not, then it is not surprising that you lack spiritual authority.
This was one big difference between Peter and Judas Iscariot. When Peter told the Lord foolishly to avoid going to the cross, the Lord rebuked him sternly saying, "Get behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). That was the strongest rebuke that Jesus ever gave any man. Even the Pharisees were only called ""vipers” (Matthew 3:7). But Peter was called "Satan.” Jesus' strongest rebukes were reserved for those who were closest to Him. He rebukes most those whom He loves the most (Revelation 3:19).
Soon after that, when many disciples were getting offended with the Lord's teaching and leaving Him, the Lord asked His disciples if they too wanted to go away. It was Peter who then replied saying, "Lord to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:60, 66-68). What were the words of eternal life that Peter had heard? "Get behind me Satan”!
"Because Peter humbled himself under correction, God exalted him."
Do we see words of correction as words meant to lead us to eternal life?
That is how Peter saw correction and that is what made him the man he became.
There was yet another occasion when Peter accepted correction from the Lord. Peter had told the Lord at the last supper that even if all the other disciples denied the Lord, he would not. The Lord immediately replied that Peter would deny Him thrice within the next 12 hours (Matthew 26:33-34). But Peter did not get offended with that reply. It was such a man that the Lord finally took up and made His chief apostle and spokesman on the day of Pentecost.
Because Peter humbled himself under correction, God exalted him. Having learnt from his own experience, Peter now exhorts all of us in 1 Peter 5:5, 6 to humble ourselves always. We will never lose anything by humbling ourselves. One-day God will exalt us.
In contrast to Peter's attitude to correction, look at Judas Iscariot's attitude to correction. When a woman anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume, Judas said it was a waste to spend money like that, when it could have been given to the poor (John 12:5; Matthew 26:10-13). Jesus corrected Judas very gently and asked him to leave the woman alone, because she had done a good work. But Judas was offended.
In the very next verse (Matthew 26:14), we read that Judas went immediately to the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus. The timing of this is very significant. Judas was hurt because Jesus had corrected him publicly.
All that Jesus had told Judas was that his assessment of the woman's action was not correct. But that was enough to upset him. When you are not broken, one small thing will be enough to offend you.
But look at the eternal consequences of Judas' reaction. And look at the eternal results of Peter's reaction. Both of them were tested by correction - one failed, while the other passed.
Today, we are being tested in the same way.
If public correction offends us, it only proves that we are seeking the honour of men. If so, it is good to know it now, so that we can cleanse ourselves from such honour-seeking. God may have allowed such a situation to show us how much we are slaves to man's opinions. Now we can cleanse ourselves and be free.
So, let us have Peter's attitude to correction at all times - whether the Lord corrects us directly by His Spirit or through someone else. This is the pathway of eternal life for all of us. If we humble ourselves, we will receive grace from God, and He will exalt us at the right time.