1 Peter 5:6-7, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” NLT.
I recall my early days in the workforce, when I was preoccupied with recognition and status, constantly comparing myself to the more established and experienced sales reps on my team, wanting to be at the top. Others may be concerned about being complimented for their efforts and endeavors in other areas, just as I was concerned about my position and status, which increased by the way, when I started to pray, “make me of benefit.” But Peter advises and points out that God’s recognition of us is more important than human praise. Peter teaches that at the right time, in due time, God will lift us up in honor. But it requires us to be humble in God’s presence. The Amplified Bible states it this way, “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.” Humility is the key that unlocks the sin of a prideful self (1 Peter 5:5) as it declares, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Then we read in James 4:6, “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” When we act pridefully, we are acting self-centeredly and thinking we are superior. That is when we feel we deserve what we want. But God demands that we be obedient and humble before Him, and then He will see that we are honored in one way or another from our obedience, faith, and trust in Him to provide.
Besides the importance of humility, in 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter also deals with worries and cares – anxiety. We all face daily stresses and struggles. Yet if we lived out our faith in the sovereignty of God and depend on Him to do what we cannot do for ourselves, all the while depending on Him to enable us to do what we need to do, this should be our prayer. God is holy, merciful, eternal, and is over all that exists in authority and power. Yet He gives us free will to make our own choices. Ephesians 1:11b states, “. . . according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” And Proverbs 16:4 declares, “The Lord works out everything to its proper end – even the wicked for a day of disaster.” God cares about you-1 Peter 5:7.
It all goes back to the heart, and what we need to “put off” and “put on” when it comes to worry and feeling anxious. Give it all to God. I find it helpful to write down my thoughts in a journal. Humility is needed in laying it at Jesus’s feet and committing it all to Him. Discouragement is Satan’s tool to divert our attention away from our great Shepherd. So, we need to “put off” worry, as Jesus said in Matthew 6:27, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Then “put on” trust as it says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you.” You might have to do that repeatedly as you pray. There is something bigger going on here as God is developing a deeper relationship within you as you pray due to that burden flooding over you again. Keep on keeping on being humble under the mighty power of God who will at the right time lift you up in honor. Keep casting your burden onto Him. Then it is in God’s hands for the outcome.
Listen to MercyMe – Oh Death (Official Music Video).