If you’ve seen the symbol G>^v and wondered what it means, you’re not alone!
Similar to the WWJDs (What Would Jesus Do?) and FROGs (Fully Reliant On God), it’s a symbol that is recognisable within the Christian community for the deeper meaning that it holds. Often worn to both reflect our faith and act as a visible personal reminder of the truths it holds.
In short, G>^v is a Christian shorthand for “God is greater than the highs and lows”, or sometimes translated as “ups and downs”.
As a designer of Christian jewellery who has been a Christian (or at least been hanging around other Christians) for over half my life, I have learnt a fair bit of Christian decoding. G>^v has been around for a good few years, and has gained popularity in Christian circles, you might see it on clothing, merch, jewellery (oh hello) or even as tattoos, perhaps surprisingly though, you won’t find it in the Bible.
When I started designing my new Men’s Christian Jewellery collection at the end of 2024, I wanted to include this “God is Greater” design. I love how powerfully encouraging the message is and wanted to add it to my range of christian jewellery for him (and her too). However, whilst I was designing the Bible verse card to accompany the design I realised there is no one verse that fully reflects the meaning behind this symbol.
So let’s take a deeper dive into the scripture that inspires and underpins the symbolism, and uncover what G>^v means in the Bible.
What Does G>^v Mean?
The G>^v phrase uses letters, mathematical symbols and arrows to create the meaning: “God is greater than the highs and lows”.
G = God
> = is greater than
^ = the highs or ups
V = the lows or downs
Although it’s not found word-for-word in scripture, this phrase encapsulates some of the main threads and messages found in the Bible.
So, what does God is Greater mean? For me, it means that God is bigger, He is both above everything and outside of everything.
It means that He is not bound by time or space, He is both near to us individually and across the whole world. And that He is a constant that we can rely upon: a firm foundation.
And those highs and lows? Well that’s life right? I love how this doesn’t shy away from reality - Christian life doesn’t mean we get to live a life immune from highs and lows. But it does mean that whatever season we’re in, whether it’s a season of joy or desperate lows, God is present in it all.
He’s bigger than any season we face, and we don’t have to go it alone.
What is the Bible verse for G>^v
Although you won’t find G>^v in the Bible, its message is one that is rooted in scripture and we can find echoes of it in God’s word. During my dive into scripture, I’ve found that no one verse fully captures the meaning behind G>^v - maybe that’s how we ended up with this shorthand in the first place! So I’ve collected together four verses that I think reflect the heart of what the G>^v symbol means for Christians, but also provide us with a little extra context too.
Romans 8:38-39
My favourite verse that reflects this symbol, and the one that I’ve chosen to reflect this phrase in my collection of Christian jewellery is Romans 8:38-39:
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Firstly, I love the poetry of this verse (it’s the English Lit grad in me), it’s not enough to say nothing can separate us from God’s love, but it’s really really nothing. Nothing that we are currently facing or ever will face is enough to take God away from us, because God is greater than it all.
Though, I will also caveat this to say, this doesn’t mean we just gloss over hardship we face with a ‘God is Greater’ chin-up mentality. Yes, God is greater and that is an amazing truth, but that doesn’t mean that facing hard things is anything other than hard. Hard things are still hard.
But for me, it means that we hold onto the hope that God is with us in whatever we face.
Psalm 46:1-3
If you’re looking for where is G>^ in the Bible, another verse that is often paired with this symbol is Psalm 46:1-3:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble as its swelling.
These verses come from a Psalm titled ‘God is Our Fortress’ in the ESV Bible. I’ve chosen to include them because they reflect the idea of life’s highs and lows through earth’s mountain heights and raging depths of the sea. It’s an image of chaos and uncertainty, but a reminder that God remains constant and a place of safety.
God remains unchanging and greater than anything that rises or crashes around us. There’s also an invitation to find peace here. Reminding us to stay rooted in God’s power rather than being caught up in our circumstances.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
This verse is one of my favourites anyway, but I think it speaks beautifully into the message of G>^v too. Again this verse points to God’s power, He is sufficient and greater than anything that we might face.
But I’ve included it because I think it also tells us something more: it’s not about us. I don’t know about you, but I find that almost as encouraging as knowing God is above it all! God’s power meets us in our weakness, in our circumstances, on the days when we feel like we haven’t prayed in far too long, on the days when we feel like we’ve been caught up in our anxiety or just when we feel like we’ve been a bit rubbish. It’s not about us. God is greater than our own weakness (or struggles) too.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I came across this Bible verse whilst looking for scripture for the G>^v symbol, and at first, it didn’t really feel like the fit I was looking for. It doesn’t speak of mountains or valleys like some of the previous verses I’ve explored, and it doesn’t concentrate on God’s power or greatness either.
Why am I including it in my list of G>^v Bible verses then? Well I think it actually does a great job of speaking to the moments we need that reminder the most: when we feel afraid, overwhelmed or ‘dismayed’ which kinda means concerned or distressed.
It might not describe the highs and lows outright, but it meets us in them. Calling us to remember that God is greater than our fear and greater than our uncertainty. He is with us, He will strengthen us, and He will hold us steady.
I love how each of these scriptures reflects a slightly different facet of what “God is greater than the highs and lows” means. Some verses speak about the truth that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Others remind us that God is a constant place of safety, that doesn’t depend on our own strength to hold it all together. And that last verse is the simple acknowledgement that we all need this reminder - in our moments of fear or uncertainty, we can anchor ourselves in the truth that our God is present, powerful and greater than whatever we’re facing.
Why did I choose to include G>^v in my Men’s Christian Jewellery Collection?
At the start of 2025 I knew I wanted to start designing more Christian Jewellery for Men.
As I’ve made more and more commission pieces for guys, it’s made me look to expand my current range and explore how I can serve the Dads, Grandads, Sons, Husbands, Boyfriends, Brothers and Godly men in our lives with handmade men’s religious jewellery and Christian gifts for him.
And, similarly to my women’s collections, I wanted every piece of jewellery to be full of handmade charm and carry real meaning that speaks to everyday faith.
G>^v stood out to me as a symbol that captures such powerful truth in a simple and understated way. It’s a phrase that connects with people in different ways: whether that’s a quiet testimony of trust in God or a source of strength on hard days. It’s a beautiful personal reminder that’s rooted in faith.
So, now you know what G>^v means, next time you spot it on a mug or trendy tattoo, or in my collection that launches later this month, you’ll feel like a Christian codebreaker! You’ll know a little more about its backstory: why you won’t find it in the Bible, but how its meaning is deeply rooted in Scripture. It’s a simple symbol with a powerful message - a reminder that no matter the highs and lows life might take us through, God is always greater.