What does it mean to hand your life to God?

[chris416]

The word God has been challenging for me. The idea of some powerful Being passing judgment on our lives. And, deciding who is saved and who is not...

I have been contemplating whether God is the answer or our own minds.

What does it mean to hand your life over to God? What does it mean to be saved?

We create the world in which we live everyday. Every moment, we choose. It’s an act of creation.

We live in a world in which our deep seeded beliefs are what controls the direction of our lives. What we hold most dear is the environment in which we live and grow.

We are powerful indeed.

The challenge is that we have forgotten ourselves. We have forgotten how to choose.

Positive or negative beliefs do not matter in a sense that we invite a particular outcome.

Is this why I am where I am? Why my life has not turned out how I wanted?

Are we in control of our lives? Or is it something else?

Simply thinking about what we want does not materialize a thing, but, it does set a direction.

There is a pull, a tethering that responds in kind.

God. The Universe. The Universal Mind. Whatever you call it. There is an undeniable pull. A sense of something greater. All things being equal, we all want the best for ourselves and the best for others.

I believe the inherent nature of the Universe is good. It derives connection.

Yes, there is evil in the world. There is evil in you. But there is also good in you.

So, surrender. Surrender to the power of creation.

If we can create a life we don’t want, then we can choose create a life we do.

Is this what it means to hand your life over to God?

[marco]

And if the author intended it to be figurative they would necessarily provided a figure of speech to carry out their intention.……..


The careful reader would know that it wasn't literal. The figure would emphasis something that literal speech can't, hence the need for the figure. So while it may not be necessary to articulate the name of the specific figure, the figure can be ascertained by matching the figure of speech with its definition and usage......


A metonymy means a change of noun or name whereas representation denotes the figure Metaphor.

Thanks for explaining how you imagine figures of speech operate. I don't suppose you are offering me instruction but if you are let me correct you on metonymy. You have roughly defined it. The metonymy in the statement "Handing over one's life to God" would be in employing "God" when one means something related to or associated with God. It means to devote one's life to good works.


The use of the verb "hand over", applied to one's life, can be taken as a metaphor since we generally "hand over" things. Though we "hand over" our life, we still retain it so we have not iterally handed it over.

Anyway it's interesting to hear how you deal with figurative language. I wish you success in your continued endeavours.

[shnarkle]

[Replying to post 21 by marco]

And if the author intended it to be figurative they would necessarily provided a figure of speech to carry out their intention.……..

The careful reader would know that it wasn't literal. The figure would emphasize something that literal speech can't, hence the need for the figure. So while it may not be necessary to articulate the name of the specific figure, the figure can be ascertained by matching the figure of speech with its definition and usage......

A metonymy means a change of noun or name whereas representation denotes the figure Metaphor.

Thanks for explaining how you imagine figures of speech operate.

I'm not explaining how figures of speech operate from my imagination, but from memory. I would cite the experts, but I don't have them handy. Regardless, they're accurate explanations.

I don't suppose you are offering me instruction but if you are let me correct you on metonymy. You have roughly defined it.

I have accurately defined it as I pointed out before, "A metonymy means a change of noun or name". "meta" indicating "change", and "onoma", "a name", or in grammar "a noun". The figure has nothing to do with "representation", and your suppositions are based upon false information, or a confused memory of the subject.

The metonymy in the statement "Handing over one's life to God" would be in employing "God" when one means something related to or associated with God. It means to devote one's life to good works.

Sounds good, and this would be referred to as "Metonymy of the Cause" which is when the cause is put for the effect.

The use of the verb "hand over", applied to one's life, can be taken as a metaphor since we generally "hand over" things.

No, just to be perfectly clear, the figure Metaphor declares that one thing "IS" another thing. The nouns must both be mentioned and are always taken or understood in their absolute literal sense, otherwise no one would know what they mean.

Though we "hand over" our life, we still retain it so we have not iterally handed it over.

To hand over never means to retain. To "hand over" something is to place it in another's "hand" or control. When something is placed in someone else's hand the person handing it over is relinquishing control over whatever was in their hand to the hand they are placing it. By placing it in another's hand they do not retain what is no longer in their hand. The figure emphsizes this literal fact. That's what figures of speech do. Therefore the person handing their life to God is handing control over their life to God. They are placing God's will above their own will. God now controls their life. Their life is now in God's hands, not their own. Their life is not their own.

[marco]

I'm not explaining how figures of speech operate from my imagination, but from memory.

I gathered this.

I don't suppose you are offering me instruction but if you are let me correct you on metonymy. You have roughly defined it.

I have accurately defined it as I pointed out before, "A metonymy means a change of noun or name". "meta" indicating "change", and "onoma", "a name", or in grammar "a noun". The figure has nothing to do with "representation", and your suppositions are based upon false information, or a confused memory of the subject.

I have been familiar with the figure, metonymy, since boyhood. The example quoted in the old school text book is, I well recall:

Sceptre and crown must tumble down
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.

Sceptre and crown represent a king or nobility; scythe and spade represent poor workers. As well as knowing the derivation of the word you have to be able to recognise and use metonymy. The figure is sometimes confused with synecdoche.

No, just to be perfectly clear, the figure Metaphor declares that one thing "IS" another thing. The nouns must both be mentioned and are always taken or understood in their absolute literal sense, otherwise no one would know what they mean.

Yes, to explain metaphor to a child we can say it's a simile with "as" or "like" chopped off. Children are given the example: He was a lion. That suffices kids for most of their odysseys in English. However, to graduate to things more sophisticated, metaphor can be personal, extended or sustained. In the example in which I am being tutored "handing over life" is taking life as being something that one can hand over. "Life is like a gift" would be a simile; we hand over our life is a metaphor.

To hand over never means to retain. To "hand over" something is to place it in another's "hand" or control.

Good. And we do not literally hand over life so we are using a metaphor, as I said. "A Study of Standard English", now probably out of print, will repeat what I have said here.


Ultracrepidarianism is an interesting word which arose from a saying by Pliny.

[shnarkle]

Sceptre and crown must tumble down
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.

Sceptre and crown represent

Nope, the word is "exchanged".

a king or nobility; scythe and spade represent poor workers. As well as knowing the derivation of the word you have to be able to recognise and use metonymy.

And it would help if you were able to keep them straight in your own mind.

The figure is sometimes confused with synecdoche.

Yep, and as far as I can tell, I haven't provided any reason for you to think I've done that yet, have I?

metaphor can be personal, extended or sustained.

And what names does your book give to these personal, extended or sustained Metaphors? I recall "continued" which I'm guessing would go along with y our "extended", and "sustained", but I don't recall "personal" what's that?

In the example in which I am being tutored "handing over life" is taking life as being something that one can hand over.

If the something isn't stated then it can't be the figure Metaphor, but must be Hypocatastasis if it was implied. The example isn't "handing over life". The example is "handing over your life".

"Life is like a gift" would be a simile; we hand over our life is a metaphor.

I disagree. "Life is a gift"; "The gift is life"; "Handing over is life" "To live is to hand over" are Metaphors."Handing over your life" is something else; perhaps a transference as you just mentioned.

To hand over never means to retain. To "hand over" something is to place it in another's "hand" or control.

Good. And we do not literally hand over life so we are using a metaphor,

We aren't dealing with "hand over life", but "handing over your life". It is not a metaphor. It is not the figure Metaphor.

"A Study of Standard English", now probably out of print, will repeat what I have said here.

I doubt it. I suspect you have it right there beside your computer screen on a shelf next to your "The Best Loved Quotes of Major British Writers" Just post what it says so I can show you where they're wrong.

Ultracrepidarianism is an interesting word which arose from a saying by Pliny.

It never rose above his feet, and at this point, your feet are just as black as mine.

[marco]

[Replying to post 24 by shnarkle]

"What does it mean to hand over your life to God?"

It means nothing literally.

Metaphorically it means doing things that seemingly please God. Life is not literally being handed over so life is being used like a gift. This is a metaphor regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Many do not believe in God but can make sense of the statement. God is associated with goodness etc. So people may give themselves over to a life of goodness. Thus God replaces, or represents, goodness. To simplify the matter: God is a name given in place of goodness, kindness, charity or whatever. This is called metonymy. It may not have been intended as such but that's what it is.

I have explained the point sufficiently. If it remains misunderstood then I'm afraid there is nothing I can do since further effort, on my part, would be wasting my time.