Humility Means Casting Your Care…it Means Victory

Through Peter, we receive interesting instructions about living a triumphant life. Experiencing this victory is not related to being fierce, having a strong stature, or being equipped in any natural way. Contrary to the image that triumph and victory conjure up, we are told to “humble ourselves” (1 Peter 5:6). This position of humility is a joyful abandonment to a living God; to His power, might, holiness, wisdom, and grace. This is an abandonment to the fullness of God by each believer. This is about God in all of His glory living in you, and your relationship with Him.

If you are abandoned to the Lord, you will cast your care on Him and not take it back. You will not be caught in the trap of worry, fear, or anxiety. God possesses the power, ability, and wisdom that you need.

In the hours before Jesus was to be arrested and crucified, He told His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). Jesus instructed them in this manner because they were capable of performing what He said. Amid great trial, we are capable of the same. He further states through Paul, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

When you humble yourself, you are saying to the Almighty, ‘I trust You; I believe You; I rely upon You because of Your ability and not my own’. It is all about being abandoned to the Lord, allowing His greatness to function and be your greatness. The fact is you have strength for all things in the Lord. He empowers you; He infuses inner strength into you. You are sufficient because of His sufficiency (Philippians 4:13). You can be assured of His strength! Humility allows His strength to be your own. Humility allows you to recognize you may be weak, but it is not about you. It is about Him! Paul recognized this truth. He stated that he had learned in all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, which was he possessed the strength of God (Philippians 4:12,13). 

In humility, you are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. This is particularly important when you are facing adversity. During adversity, you must rely completely on God’s ability. That requires you to trust Him and cast the entirety of your care upon Him. That means all of your worries, concerns, and anxieties. “He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (Amplified 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22). The Lord is saying to you, “Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you” (The Message Isaiah 41:10).  He does not want you to take ownership of your concerns. In humility, you recognize the Greater One, so you turn your focus to Him and His ability. Pride causes you to hold on to your concerns, thinking you can handle it, or that you must handle it. However, it is the joy of the Father to be your caretaker. When you strive in pride, He can’t work. What might be a signal to you that you are heading down a slippery slope of pride? Whenever you are lacking peace, you are becoming self-dependent instead of God-dependent; you are self-absorbed thinking you have the ability, and focus has been removed from God. Whenever lack of peace begins to snowball into worry, anxiety, fear, depression, or hopelessness, you have kept a burden instead of releasing it. Yet, God is always present and desires to assist you by taking your concerns. What you need to do is reconnect with the Strengthener, with His ability and wisdom. This is what it means to be humble. And that is what it means to experience victory.