What does it mean to GIVE something to God?

                   The world we live in is tough. It's that simple. Life is not easy and we as humans get so frustrated, angry, upset and emotional about everyday things, myself included. I have battled with depression and some pretty dark thoughts. When we get stressed out, it can literally feel like a world is on our shoulders. It can be mentally and physically exhausting. When i began a christian, one of the things I had a hard time wrapping my head around was 'giving it to God.' What does that even mean? How can I give this to him? Hopefully this will give you some insight on how I've managed to do that and maybe, just maybe, It will help you too.     

                 In 1 Peter 5:6-7 it states:

 "So humble yourself 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." 

                    The bible tells us to give EVERYTHING to God. Not just the bad stuff, not just the good stuff, all of it. Ask him to take the worry off your mind and the world off your shoulders. Ask him for guidance and what his plan is for you. You must humble yourself before him and be willing to admit he is right and he knows what's best for us, we don't. If you don't believe that, he can't work through you.

                  Here's the crazy and amazing thing about God. He has a miraculous plan for each and every one of us. He does things on his timing and according to his plans, not ours. We get so frustrated when we don't get what we want or don't get something when we want it. We pray for a lot of stuff that we want or think we need and I've learned something important; unanswered prayers are sometimes the greatest thing God can do for us. We think we know everything and we think we know what's best but how many times have you tried to take control of your life and things fell apart? Or things didn't work out and you realized you made a mistake? God is watching us, waiting for us to let him take control and help fix things and put our lives back together. With that being said, chances are you're not going to just get your problem solved, but often God will provide opportunities that you need to grab hold of in order to solve your problem. You still need to put in effort. 

                       Another thing that has changed my life and attitude is how I pray. I don't mean if I'm sitting, standing, by myself or with a group. I mean how I word things. There are sometimes when I'm talking to God I don't think about what to say, I just let everything I have on my mind out and sometimes, I sound extremely selfish and greedy. When I realized this, I completely changed my word phrasing. I stopped asking for this or that to happen, I stopped saying , "I need this..." or "I want that.." or "If you could make this happen..." because like I said, when we try to take control and tell God we know best, we probably won't get the answer we desire. God is a 'his way or the highway' kind of God, you can't tell him what to do or how to do it, you follow his rules.

 Now in Philippians 4:6-7 you read:

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

                  My interpretation of this may be different than yours, but this is what I think when I read that verse. I think that first, when it says to TELL God what we need, I don't think it's meant as 'I need a new car', 'I need a million dollars', and he'll give it to you. I think it's meant more as tell him you need help. Tell him you don't know where your next paycheck is coming from or that you don't know how you'll cover your child's medical bill but you know he can help and that he will provide. Tell him you need his help staying motivated and losing weight. Tell him you need a miracle to save your marriage and he is that only miracle. Tell him your job is taking a toll on your body and you don't know how much longer you can take it, maybe you will receive a better job or maybe you will receive the strength to overcome that job.  With all of these things, remember that it will still take effort on your end. He needs an avenue to work through. 

                      We don't talk to him like we are in charge of him or like we better get what we want, just as we don't talk to our parents that way. We talk to him as if we are in need of assistance only he can give. Humbling ourselves. He is literally a true father. You praise him and thank him for everything he's done. God doesn't lecture, but we will feel convicted or we will know we just learned a lesson. I can't tell you how many times I've learn a lesson from God and all I can do is sigh, smile and look up thinking, you were right, I was wrong.

                                    It works the same way with faith too. God provides us with so many opportunities and open doors, sometimes we just aren't looking, forget to look or ignore them. We need to start acting like God is our true father and not being ashamed to ask him for help. After all, he knew we would screw up and he knows we're going to screw up again and again in our future. He sent his son Jesus to allow us to have that connection and relationship with him, our one true father. I say we Glorify Jesus by taking advantage of that beautiful relationship he let us have and start giving everything to God because just like a true parent, he cares. He doesn't want to see us in pain, stressed out, worried, depressed, sad or upset. He wants to help you feel and do better, but like a parent, there is only so much you can do if your child is unwilling, not open to receive the help and won't allow you to be there for them.

                          So do not stress, do not worry! Stop worrying about finances, stop worrying about work, stop worrying about your appearances, your family or your friends... pray and give all of that to God because he can take care of all of that and all of those people more then we will ever be able to. It is all out of our control, and in his. If you truly give it all to God, and believe that he will take care of everything and provide for you and anyone you're praying for, you will feel relief. You will be able to relax and the world will no longer be on your shoulders, because it is in his hands! Going to back to the verse that talks about inner peace, THAT is what giving it to God is about. It's about releasing those worries, especially the ones out of your control, and finding the peace you need. 

                      You don't have to pray this but it's along the lines of something I've found myself saying a lot. I often pray as if i'm really talking to a best friend. Letting out all my pain, my sorrows, the ugly truth about my feelings, all of it. You know why? Because when you take your ugly truth to him, it generally means you don't like how you're feeling or you don't want to feel that way any more. This is a personal opinion, but i feel like if you are acknowledging that you know this isn't Christ like and that you want to do better... It shows maturity and self growth.

"Heavenly Father,
Thank-you for watching over me like the true parent that you are. There has been a lot on my mind and a lot that has made life difficult lately. Lord I give you all my worries and my anxiety. I know these thoughts and all of this mental and emotional pain is from the enemy, trying to break me down. I know i need to fight this, but i am not strong enough on my own. I need you. I need strength and peace. Lord I do not have the answers and I do not know your plan. I know you have something amazing planned for me and I want to surrender my control over to you. I know I get frustrated and upset that things don't go my way, but I know now that it's not supposed to go my way. I know now that I have no reason to stress, no reason to worry or be depressed for you will provide me with everything I need in life and you will not let me fall without being there to pick me back up. God, I ask that you forgive me for being selfish and thinking I know best. Forgive me for any sins I have committed and show me your grace. God I pray that you will give me peace and guide me along my journey, for we both know without you, I am lost. Lord, I Thank-you for everything you have done in my life, are currently doing and will do for me. There are simply too many things to list out that I have to be grateful for. Thank-you for being there every step of the way, even when I was at my worst.
In Jesus' name,
Amen"

If you wish to find bible quotes on certain subjects (worry, trust, friendship, marriage, finances etc) go to the link below. I use this website a lot and it has helped me tremendously!

https://www.gotquestions.org/

Until next time!

 The W-oil-rrior