A Godly Pattern for Living

Have you ever noticed how life seems to push us toward the very things that hurt us most? 

Pride convinces us that we deserve recognition. Anxiety whispers that everything depends on us. Temptation promises an easier path if we’ll just give in. In the middle of all that, the Apostle Peter gives us a different vision for life—a godly pattern that brings freedom, peace, and strength.

In his first letter, Peter lays out three simple but challenging steps: relinquish your rights, rely on God, and resist the devil. These aren’t just religious duties. They’re a way of life that shapes our character and keeps us aligned with God’s heart.

Relinquish Your Rights

Peter begins with a call to humility:

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NLT)

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

Relinquishing your rights doesn’t mean you stop having opinions or that your needs don’t matter. It means stepping away from the me-first mentality that dominates our world. Instead of demanding control, insisting on being heard, or clinging to recognition, humility calls you to trust God and serve others.

Jesus is our example here. Though He was God, Philippians 2 tells us He did not cling to His divine rights but humbled Himself—even to the point of death on a cross. True humility isn’t weakness; it’s the strength to surrender to God’s timing and trust His plan.

Rely on God

After humility, Peter addresses something we all carry: worry.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

The picture here is vivid—it’s like tossing a heavy load onto someone else’s shoulders. God doesn’t ask us to pretend our problems aren’t real. He invites us to hand them to Him because He cares deeply for us.

Think about the burdens you carry—financial stress, family struggles, uncertainty about the future. It’s like walking around with a backpack full of rocks. God says, “Give it to Me. I can carry that.”

When we rely on God, we’re not ignoring reality. We’re admitting that we’re not strong enough on our own and choosing to trust the One who is.

Resist the Devil

Finally, Peter gives a sober warning:

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

The devil is real, and his goal is to derail our faith. He tempts us to doubt God’s goodness, to give in to fear, or to compromise when obedience feels too costly. Peter doesn’t tell us to fight in our own strength—he tells us to resist by standing firm in faith.

Jesus shows us how. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, He resisted with the truth of Scripture: “It is written…” God’s Word is our anchor when the enemy roars.

And here’s some encouragement: we don’t fight alone. Christians all over the world face the same battle. The family of God surrounds us, reminding us that resistance is possible and that victory belongs to Christ.

A Pattern Worth Following

Peter’s pattern for living is as countercultural now as it was in the first century:

• Relinquish your rights—choose humility over pride.
• Rely on God—cast your worries onto the One who cares for you.
• Resist the devil—stand firm in faith, anchored in God’s truth.

This is the way of Jesus—the One who humbled Himself, trusted the Father, and triumphed over the enemy. When we follow His lead, we discover the freedom of humility, the peace of trusting God, and the strength to stand firm in a world that wants to pull us away from Him.


Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Avoiding Worry

We’ve all been there. It’s late at night, long past bedtime, and you’re tossing and turning, unable to quiet your mind. You replay conversations, stress over bills, or fear what tomorrow might bring.

If you’ve experienced that, you’re not alone.

Researcher Lucas LaFreniere conducted a study on worry that revealed something staggering. Participants wrote down their nightly worries for a period of time, then returned 20 days later to see if those worries had actually come true. The result? 91.4% of what people worried about never happened.

LaFreniere explained it like this: “Worry makes you miserable in the present moment to try and prevent misery in the future… it sucks the joy out of the here and now.”

That hits hard, doesn’t it? Worry robs us of today’s joy over things that—nine times out of ten—won’t even happen. Jesus Himself asked, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27). The answer is no. Worry doesn’t solve our problems—it just deepens our misery.

But here’s the good news: Jesus offers us another way.

Rethinking Worry

Too often, we treat Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (“Do not worry,” Matthew 6:25–34) as a command. We hear people say, “Worry is a mild form of atheism because when you worry, you’re doubting God.” That only makes us feel guilty—so we try to stop worrying, which ironically makes us worry even more.

But what if Jesus’ teaching wasn’t meant as a crushing command, but as a gentle reminder? Don’t worry, because your Father has things under control. The birds are fed. The flowers bloom. And you are more valuable than them all.

So, how do we move from worry to trust? John 6:15-21 gives us three principles that can help.

1. Refuel (v. 15)

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus slipped away to the mountain to pray. He had healed, taught, and fed thousands—He was physically and emotionally drained. Even the Son of God needed to refuel in His Father’s presence.

If Jesus needed that, how much more do we? Worry drains us, but prayer and Scripture refill us. Prayer connects us to God’s peace (Philippians 4:6-7), and His Word steadies our perspective (Psalm 119:15-16).

Start small. A short prayer in the morning. A verse taped to your mirror. Small, consistent practices make a huge difference.


2. Remember (vv. 16-20)

As the disciples rowed across the Sea of Galilee, a storm hit. They struggled for miles in the wind and waves until suddenly, they saw Jesus walking on the water. Terrified, they didn’t recognize Him at first—but then He said, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”

Here’s the truth: storms will come in our lives—health scares, financial stress, family crises. But when storms hit, we must remember: Jesus is with us. He promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Even before the disciples saw Him, Jesus already saw their struggle. The same is true for you—He sees your storm, and He is coming to you.


3. Receive (v. 21)

When the disciples welcomed Jesus into their boat, they reached the shore safely.

That’s our call too—to receive Him. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, John 1:12 says that when you receive Him, you become God’s child. That’s the first step toward freedom from worry.

But for those who already follow Jesus, receiving Him means surrendering control. Too often, we grip the oars of our lives, exhausting ourselves with worry. But when Jesus is captain of the ship, He brings peace (Isaiah 26:3).

The Hope Beyond Worry

Let’s put it together. To avoid worry, we must:

• Refuel through prayer and Scripture.
• Remember that Jesus is with us in the storm.
• Receive Him as the one in control of our lives.

Here’s the big idea: Worry loses its grip when we focus on Jesus and the hope we have in His life, death, and resurrection.

This doesn’t mean life will be easy. Storms will still come. But instead of being consumed by worry, we can cling to hope—the hope that one day, King Jesus will return and make all things right.

So here’s a challenge: this week, when worry starts to take hold, stop and say: “God is good, and today is a blessing.”

Then pray a short prayer, releasing your worry to Him.

Corrie ten Boom, who endured unimaginable storms, once said: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Don’t let worry rob you of today. Jesus is here. He is enough.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Lessons from the King: Don’t Worry

 

The Struggle Between Earthly and Heavenly Priorities

Imagine sorting your life into three categories: rubber, metal, and glass. Tim Sanders, former chief solutions officer at Yahoo! and author of Love Is the Killer App, uses this analogy to explain how we handle life’s ups and downs. Rubber things—like missing a Seahawks game—bounce back with little fuss. Metal things—like missing an important meeting—clang loudly when dropped, causing temporary chaos but nothing irreparable. Then there’s glass—the irreplaceable treasures like your marriage, family, deepest relationships, and spiritual well-being. When glass shatters, no amount of effort can fully restore it.

The challenge is clear: we all know what’s "glass" in our lives. So, what’s our priority? What’s the one thing we should devote ourselves to, the thing that puts everything else into place? Jesus has been teaching about the heart—our desires, beliefs, thoughts, and will. He’s shown us that the condition of our hearts determines whether we’re citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. At the core of that heart must be faithfulness. Without it, we can’t belong to God’s Kingdom. Today’s text, Matthew 6:19-34, brings this truth into sharp focus.

Last week, we saw how Jesus emphasized motivation over mere actions in spiritual disciplines. If we pray, give, or fast to impress others, we’ve already received our reward. But if we do these things to connect with God and honor Him, He blesses us with answered prayer and a place in His Kingdom. That sets the stage for today’s lesson: trusting God completely. Let’s walk through the text together.

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Storing Up True Treasure (vv. 19-21)

Jesus begins, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Earthly treasures—money, possessions, status—are temporary. Moths eat them, rust corrodes them, thieves take them. Why spend your life chasing what won’t last? Instead, store up treasures in heaven—love, generosity, kindness, forgiveness—the character traits of Kingdom citizens. These are eternal.

Where your treasure is, Jesus says, there your heart will be. What we value shapes our devotion. Are we truly invested in God’s Kingdom, or are we just paying it lip service? Ask yourself: What’s more important—investments or spiritual maturity?

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A Clear or Clouded Vision (vv. 22-23)

Next, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Our spiritual perception guides our lives. A healthy eye—one focused generously on God—brings light, helping us see what He values and grow in His character. But an unhealthy eye—stingy and fixated on wealth—plunges us into darkness. Greed blinds us to truth and robs us of the life God intends.

What dominates your vision: God’s Kingdom or worldly wealth?

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The Danger of Divided Devotion (v. 24)

Here’s the heart of the Sermon on the Mount: “No one can serve two masters.” Jesus pits God against money (or "Mammon"). He’s not saying money itself is evil—only that serving it is idolatry. Devotion to wealth competes with devotion to God. When God is in His rightful place, money and possessions fall into theirs. Jesus forces a choice: we’ll love one and despise the other.

So, who rules your heart—God or materialism?

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Overcoming Worry with Trust (vv. 25-32)

Jesus commands, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink.” Worry stems from a lack of trust in God’s provision—the opposite of “Give us today our daily bread.” This doesn’t mean we ignore responsibilities or stop working hard. It means trusting God to provide.

Look at the birds—they don’t fret over food, yet God feeds them. Consider the lilies—they don’t toil, yet God clothes them beautifully. If God cares for them, how much more will He care for us, His children? Worry is futile—it doesn’t add a day to our lives. Worse, it’s what pagans do. Kingdom citizens trust God instead.

Does your worry reveal a heart not fully trusting Him?

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The Key to True Security: Seeking God’s Kingdom (vv. 33-34)

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.” That’s the antidote to worry. Prioritize God’s will—live by faith, trust, holiness, and disciple-making—and He’ll meet your needs, often through His people, the church. Align your life with His purposes, and trust Him daily.

Don’t be consumed by tomorrow—God’s got it covered. Shift your focus: seek God first, and let Him handle the rest.

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Who Do You Trust?

Jesus didn’t just teach this—He lived it. He surrendered everything to the Father, even His life on the cross, so we could become Kingdom citizens. We’re called to trust God to mature us, guide us, and provide for us. The Kingdom of Heaven is better than the reality we know now, and God will supply what we need if we stop worrying about the details.

It’s easy to say we trust God, but our focus—what we pursue—and our worries—what we dwell on—reveal the truth. How do we grow in trust? Through spiritual disciplines: prayer, gratitude, and meditating on Scripture.

Here’s the challenge:

Surrender your worries and seek God first. Examine what concerns you, confess it to God, ask Him to build your trust, and then do your part—handle your responsibilities while leaving the rest to Him.

We can’t serve two masters. Citizens of the Kingdom trust God with their treasures, needs, and future because He’s the only Master worth serving.

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Prayer

Thank God for Jesus, who made you part of His Kingdom. Ask Him to teach you to trust Him fully. Commit to following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. If God’s calling you to follow Jesus more closely today, don’t wait—take that next step.