1 Peter 1:24 KJV
[24] “For All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:”
Peter illustrates the flesh as grass and the glory of the flesh as the flower of grass. The principle in our verse is both practical and very pointed. Neither the flesh nor the glory of man is going to last. Like the grass, the flesh will wither away, and like the flower, the glory of man will fall.
We understand why the world cannot see this, but Peter speaks to Christians in this verse. He reminds them that man is feeble and his glory is vain. Outside of the grace of God in our lives, there is nothing worth glorying about. Too many of God’s children are guilty of magnifying the flesh. We must remember that we are all dust, and to dust we will return. I think about a song written by a good friend of ours entitled “Give Him the Glory.” That is the glory that will endure forever. It is not the glory of the flesh but the glory of God. We must lift Him up because He is worthy.
We must always stay on guard and not allow the flesh to exalt itself. We have all seen movie stars, athletes, and singers of this world rise to the heights of fame and glory. As we watched them over the years, we noticed their beauty and ability were eventually lost, along with their glory. Their era had come and gone for the most part. Then, we heard the news of their passing, and like grass, they had slowly withered away. Their flower fell, and now there is only a plaque, a headstone, or pictures in a museum to remind us that they were once here on this earth. As time passes, upcoming generations will hear about them, but they may be of little or no interest to them.
Why is it this way? Because it was never meant for the glory of man to last. His glory dies with him, reminding us that life is temporary and our accomplishments are vanity. The quote we have read or heard many times comes to mind, “Only one life will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
I encourage you not to walk in the flesh but walk in the Spirit. Do not sow to your flesh, but sow to the Spirit. You will reap eternal rewards if you follow the Spirit’s leadership. The Spirit will never elevate or give glory to the flesh. To be filled with the Spirit, you have to crucify the flesh, and have no desire to magnify it. We must be like the great apostle Paul and be determined to die daily.