"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV
"I lift my worries up to you because you care for me." I pen those words in my prayer journal daily.
"Give it to God" is a typical response we receive when going through a worrisome or troubled season in life. Learning how to give our lives over to the Lord, especially when life is unexplainably difficult, is an important step of growth in our spiritual lives.
Personalizing Scripture in prayer has become a method of survival for me as I've grown to know the Lord throughout my life. These simple words aren't to convey human emotion as accurately as the Bible captures. Our lives are not accidental or coincidental. This powerful verse is an amazing testament to the power of the Word of God and His purpose for our lives. The Message paraphrase of the verses above reads:
"So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you."
Live carefree because He is careful with me. What a powerful anthem to live by! The apostle John recorded Jesus' words: "My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." Other biblical translations say, "Life to the full." To live a full life, it's essential to understand what "give it to God" means.
Humble Yourselves
"The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged." Psalm 69:32 NLT
Humility is a hard character trait to master. Pride sneaks in through the cracks in our armor as much when we are arrogant as it does when we are afraid. Scripture tells us to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) Humbling ourselves before God means to let go of our agenda, doubt, arrogance, and fear. We don't let go of it aimlessly but intentionally, giving it purposefully and genuinely to God. We humbly submit our lives to God because we know Him and trust Him and His intentions. "In their suffering, God's people are to give themselves entirely to him, submitting to his wise ordering of their lives," the ESV Study Bible explains, "Mighty hand of God brings to mind the exodus, where the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt 'by a mighty hand' (e.g., Ex. 3:19, 32:11; Deut. 4:34-5:15; Dan. 9:15)."
Humility is hard because it requires us to release our grip on what is best for our lives. Not everything we submit to the Lord will make sense to us right away, or ever in this lifetime. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the LORD. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.'" (Isaiah 55:8 NLT) Humble followers of Christ Jesus realize His way always supersedes our greatest expectations. "Those who suffer can likewise be confident that the day of humiliation will not last forever," the ESV Study Bible explains, "Whether later in this earthly life or on the last day, God will exalt his people at the proper time." Humility is hard, especially in times of injustice and suffering. This world is full of ways that test our allegiance to the Lord. "When we humble ourselves before God," Aaron D’Anthony Brown explains, "we acknowledge our need for Him – our need for Him to help us carry our burdens."
"Humble yourselves" means to embrace our reliance on the Lord. It means to trust Him, even when you don't see an end or solution in the future. It acknowledges that only God knows the number of our days on earth and reflects our commitment to follow Christ Jesus through each one to the best of our ability. The Voice paraphrase reads:
"So bow down under God's strong hand; then when the time comes, God will lift you up. Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries."
Casting All Your Anxieties
"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6 NLT
Casting immediately causes me to picture the fisherman in our lake town. Boaters, ourselves, we cruise past them every time we're out on the water. They bob in the water, seemingly oblivious to the passing boat traffic, casting repeatedly into the water. They are casting to catch something. When we cast our anxieties - we don't want to reel them back in! "The participle 'casting' modifies the main verbal phrase 'humble yourselves from v. 6," the ESV Study Bible explains, "Worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting them to God." Rick Renner explains the Greek root of the word casting:
"The word "casting" used in First Peter 5:7 was the Greek word epiripto, a compound of the words epi and ripto. The word epi means upon, as on top of something. The word ripto means to hurl, to throw, or to cast, and it often means to violently throw or to fling something with great force."
When we cast our cares, as some translations of the Bible read, to the Lord, we aren't intending to reel them back in. We are permanently casting them off, allowing the Lord to rearrange the landscape of our hearts as we trust Him with the realities of our lives. The Amplified Bible reads,
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully.]"
When fishermen cast their lines into the water, they can't see beneath the surface. Technology and knowledge of their sport give them a great advantage in catching the fish they are after. They still take a chance when they drop their line into the water. When we cast our cares and anxieties to the Lord, we can know with absolute confidence He fully receives them and thus relieves us of their burdens. Jesus came so we would live a full life, void of constant worry and dread, which weighs us down. "Give it to God" means to give Him complete control of our lives. He's given us free will but calls us to Himself. He does this so we can actively participate in His plan for our lives. Scripture reminds us,
"Now to him who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)
"Give it to God" means to give Him the glory. In God's image, we were created to bring glory to Him through the life He has purposefully given us. Letting go isn't an easy thing for us to do. We not only hold on to the things and people who bring joy and happiness to our lives but also cling to worry and anxiety, which steals from the full life Christ Jesus died to give us. There's a lot we can't control this side of heaven. The world's hurt, injustice, disease, and evil are rampant and visible. It affects our lives and distracts us from God's blessings daily in this fallen world. When we give our all to God, He is faithful to bless us beyond our wildest dreams, so much so that we can't help but give Him the glory! Life within the love of Christ Jesus requires a lot of letting go, an immense amount of trust, and complete buy-in. But in return, we get to live a full life. Full of joy, blessing, love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. We give things to God because He is the Almighty, our Creator, faithful Father, and Savior.
When we give our lives to Christ Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, who adjusts our perspective of life as we seek the Lord daily through Scripture and prayer. Relationships are give and take. Our relationship with God through Christ requires us to give our preconceived notions to Him and, in exchange, trust Him with our lives. Instead of guilt, we receive grace upon grace. Rather than feeling hopeless, we are constantly accompanied by Christ Himself. We are never alone, forsaken, or forgotten, no matter how hard and painful our lives can be sometimes.
"Give it to God" means trusting He cares for us. The English dictionary defines care like this:
Noun: "A state of mind in which one is trouble; worry, anxiety, or concern."
Verb: "to be concerned or solicitous; have thought or regard; to be concerned or have a special preference." God is concerned about our troubles, worries, anxieties, and concerns. When we cry out to Him, he gives us special preference. Psalm 18:6 reads:
"But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears." (NLT)
Give it all to God, and cling to these truths. Live a full life beyond imagination. Give glory to God, from whom all good things flow. The apostle Paul wrote, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14 NLT) This is what it means to "Give it to God."
