Grant us thy Grace for Letting Go, of Casting Away, that Which We Cannot Control nor Change. 1 Peter 5:1-11

1 Peter 5:1-11 New American Standard Bible

Serve God Willingly

5 Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a ^[a]fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not ^[b]with greed but with eagerness; ³ nor yet as domineering over ^[c]those assigned to your care, but by ^[d]proving to be ^[e]examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading ^[f]crown of glory. ⁵ You ^{[g ]} younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. ⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ^9 [h]So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your ^[i] brothers and sisters who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself  perfect, confirm, strengthen,  and establish you. ¹¹ To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When it comes to worry, we have a lot to worry about.

We could fill a blog with a dozen-plus reasons people might be anxious or be fearful in this fallen world.

And we could generate article after article detailing those dozen-plus negative consequences our worries bring.

Instead, let’s hear from God.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7, the apostle addresses the problem of anxiety and provides us with hope-giving, life-changing help to handle it.

Peter writes,

1 Peter 5:6-7 Amplified Bible

⁶ 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, ⁷ 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].

Three simple but profound truths emerge from this brief text.

1) Amid Your Anxiety, God Calls You to Humble Yourself before Him

Peter writes his letter to Christians in exile, believers scattered all over the Roman world (1 Pet. 1:2) who are suffering persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (1:6; 4:12).

When we look at the world around us and the daily pressures that consume us, like Peter’s readers, we realize how little we can control our lives.

We can’t change the economy, the climate, the government, our health, or our friends and family.

We can’t make people act the way we want.

We have a lot to worry about.

For this reason, Peter calls us to humble ourselves before God.

In the previous verse, he exhorts us to humble ourselves before each other and reminds us of God’s deep opposition to pride.

But here, as he treats the problem of anxiety, Peter recognizes that nothing short of completely submitting to the Lord can bring us help and hope.

2) The Way to Humble Yourself amid Your Anxiety Is to Cast It on God

In verse 7, Peter tackles “anxiety.”

While the New Testament sometimes uses this term (Greek, merimna) in a positive sense for the proper care/concern we should have for others (e.g., 2 Cor. 12:28; Phil. 2:20), here, since Peter writes to suffering readers and calls them to cast their anxiety upon the Lord, the word carries its normal negative sense of worry or anxiety.

While the NIV translation above begins verse 7 with a command, in the Greek text, it’s a participle that modifies the main command in verse 6, “humble yourselves.”

The participle . . . explains how believers can humble themselves under God’s strong hand. . . . Believers humble themselves by casting their worries on God. Conversely, if believers continue to worry, then they are caving in to pride.

In other words, Peter roots our anxiety in our self-dependency and self-reliance.

Worry is a form of pride because when believers are filled with anxiety, they are convinced they must solve all the problems in their lives in their own strength.

The only god they trust in is themselves.

When believers throw their worries upon God, they express their trust in His mighty hand, acknowledging that He is Lord/Sovereign over all of life.

Believers fight anxiety by faith.

We “cast” our anxieties by throwing them on God, the same vivid verb Luke 19:35 uses when the disciples “threw their cloaks” on a colt. Fighting anxiety requires the concrete act of deliberately entrusting our worries to God in prayer.

Here, a simple distinction makes a major difference: we entrust to the Lord the things we can’t control, and we trust the Lord to do what He promises to do.

We cannot and must not trust the Lord to do what we want Him to do.

He is not our personal genie or divine bellhop; biblical faith depends on God’s assurances, not our hopes.

But we can and must entrust the many details of our lives we can’t control into His sovereign, wise, and loving hands.

We shouldn’t trust the Lord to change our family and friends; we should  entrust them into His hands, trusting the Lord to do what His Word guarantees.

3) God Invites You to Humble Yourself and Cast Your Anxiety on Him Because of Who He Is and What He Promises

Thankfully, God’s Word doesn’t issue raw commands but persuades us with powerful promises.

Consider 8 descriptions of God found in verses 6-7 and the immediate context:

• God “shows favor” to those who humble themselves (v. 5). Peter’s call in verse 6 to “humble yourselves” follows (“therefore”) this kind, generous assurance.
• God’s hand is “mighty” (v. 6a)—mighty enough to handle those circumstances you worry about.
• God promises to “lift you up” in due time—His all-wise timetable—if you humble yourself (v. 6b).
• God “cares for you” (v. 7). Note Peter doesn’t say God cares for you because you cast your anxiety on Him. No, it’s the opposite. His care for your predates your actions. Because He already cares, you can now cast!
• God reminds you that you are not alone; other believers are facing “the same kind of suffering” (v. 9; also 1 Cor. 10:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:3-5).
• God is the God “of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ.” (v. 10a). Whatever your present pressures, God still graciously guarantees a glorious inheritance (cf. 1:3-5).
• God will restore you, strengthen you, make you firm, and make you steadfast ( 10b). The Lord is both eager and able to bear your anxieties.
• God’s sovereign power reigns “forever and ever” (11). The problems that tempt you to worry are short-lived; God’s power—His mighty hand of v.6—never ends.

What does humble yourself under the mighty hand of God mean?

Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from Christ, not performance.

Whether you struggle with pride in success or failure, remember God values you as His child, no matter how you perform.

What is the moral lesson of 1 Peter 5:7?

Peter writes that we should take that fear and cast it—throw it—onto our Father God.

In fact, he tells us to take all of our anxieties, everything that worries us, and to give it to the God who cares so deeply for us.

This is not a promise that God will fix everything which worries us.

Humble yourself in Him, and He will lift you in His time. 

Humility and anxiety, together, is like fire and water. 

They cannot exist at the same time.

How do I cast my worries to God?

Prayer is the best way to give your anxieties to God and to exercise and demonstrate real faith in Him.

Therefore, to eliminate worry and receive peace, ask God for help, and as the Scripture says, do it with a grateful heart.

1. Pick up your bible and start reading and studying .
2. Surrender your worries to God.
3. Stay in the present moment.
4. Meditate on God’s Word.
5. The Lord Himself will go before you. …
6. God’s way is perfect. …
7. Don’t be afraid! …
8. So don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will have its own worries.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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