1 Peter 5:5b-7 contains a thought that Peter found very useful for his pastoral exhortations: be humble. But, Peter is not a pragmatist about it. So much of ethics today is pragmatic, and lots of preaching gets so pragmatic: do this, and you’ll find yourself more happy! Hooey!
Peter’s exhortation is theocentric through and through. We need more God-centered ethics and less pragmatic ethical soft-pedaling. Notice this: Why be humble? Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” We are back once again to 1 Peter 2: God is over all; God sees; God will makes things right some day. So, live in light of God.