I Peter 5:5-7

5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I never realized the significance of verses 6 and 7 being adjacent to one another. Thought of separately, they both give a call to action with an understood you. Humble yourselves. Cast your cares. But perhaps Peter gives the directive to cast all my anxiety on Him in part because when I am proudly seeking man’s approval, I will worry about how I’m doing, and try to scheme my way into people’s favor, posturing myself to appear in the best possible light, avoiding anything that might tarnish their impression of me. Fearing man involves constantly worrying how I look to others, continually wondering if I come across as smart, godly, or even funny. When I am proud, I am depending on my own accomplishments for validation. The yardstick I wield to measure my worth is a stressful one, for how can I ever know if I’ve done enough? Maybe the anxiety I am to cast on Him is that of desiring approval from others. Maybe once I realize He cares for me, I will stop striving for perfection, or the appearance of it, thinking that is the only way people will love me: if they think I am perfect, or stand in awe of my talents. Maybe once I humble myself, I will not care what others think of me, but will seek to live in light of God’s truth… not even, “God’s truth about me,” but the truth of God’s gospel: He sent Jesus who saved unworthy sinners while they were dead in their sins. He has adopted us and called us to a ministry of making disciples and eagerly waiting for His return. That’s what life is about: the Gospel. Not being thought well of by others, or liked, admired, or respected. The goal is to emulate Jesus, who humbled Himself though He was God. I am not to even think about what my service will get me, or how it will endear me to others. My goal is a fixed gaze on Jesus, regardless of who notices.