…God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

You know, when you insist on doing things your own way, taking matters into your own hands, at that point you’re refusing the grace of God. Pure and simple. In actuality, you stand opposed to God, and that, believe me, is not where you want to be. If you don’t believe me, read this “in all caps”: GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Now this is not because God is yelling at us, but a quote from Psalm 3:34, which also shows up verbatim in James 4:6. James knew firsthand about opposing God, since he had to stand face-to-face with his resurrected half brother Jesus to submit to God’s sovereign rule. Only then did he receive God’s “greater grace.”

In verses 6 and 7, Peter proceeds with the process. “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.” This step is similar to Solomon’s advice, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) It’s imperative to submit to the will of God, hopefully before you’re at your wit’s end. Sadly, this normally does not happen until you’re at the end of your rope.

I vote for 1 Peter 5:6-7 as everyone’s best choice for a “life verse.” I know it’s been mine for years. This requires “casting all your anxiety upon him.” This does not mean to keep worrying about everything until you throw your hands up, but to once and for all, deposit all your cares in his bank. Trust him, they’ll be safe with him! For once, you’ll earn compounding interest, that his “greater grace.”

It’s much easier to subject yourself to the mighty hand if God when you know he’ll be paying out these kinds of dividends!