SOUL STEWARDSHIP – I Peter 5:1-5

 I Peter chapter 4 closes with a statement which could serve as the summary theme of Peter's entire 1st letter: “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”  Our last message from I Peter closed on this verse which raises an important question: 'Who can we trust with our souls?' -or- 'Who DO we trust with our souls?'.  A million voices claim to be trustworthy for the stewardship of our mental/spiritual health, and our own hearts often betray a tendency to trust the claims of parties competing for our soul's investment.  We can identify with the first readers of this letter.  They received these words of exhortation during times of uncertainty and conflict.  When our world is shaken, our bearings are questionable, and the anxieties of life are amplified, the care of our soul is all the more paramount and the sources of our peace of mind need to be carefully vetted.  To navigate the challenge of soul care during trying times, a church would do well to take Peter's words to heart.  The apostle closes his instructions with an appeal to the church.  The priority of his closing exhortations makes sense as one considers the church's responsibility as a primary means of discipleship in a culture hostile to the Biblical worldview.  The officers and congregants of Christ's bride must be equipped to direct their attention to their faithful Creator and encourage others to do the same.  They are to do this by means of the grace supplied to the assembly who trust their crucified, risen, and ascended Savior to secure their eternal destiny.  I Peter provides clear direction not just for a ticket to heaven, but for faithfulness in the Kingdom of God.