“ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”–Philippians 4:13 (NASB).
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I would suspect that not only have you committed to memory the words of the Apostle Paul quoted above, you have also frequently uttered them aloud, or at least whispered them under your breath in a time of adversity. This verse is one of a handful of memorable lines and passages found in the Philippian letter (see 1:21, 2:13, 3:7, 3:12-14, 4:4-7, and 4:19 for some examples).
But as you know, there is an inherent, but often unappreciated, danger in memorizing Bible verses without taking into account their original context. And this great verse seems to be especially vulnerable to interpretation in an isolated sense, deployed without allowing its setting to shed light on the true intention of the author. It’s so easy to say, “ I can do all things through Christ,” but without recognizing what the Apostle actually had in mind by the words “ all things.”
If we glance back up to verses 11-12, the “ things” of which Paul speaks are identified. They are first categorized under the general heading of “ whatever circumstances” we might be in (v. 11). Then, they are more directly identified as getting along with “ humble means” or living “ in prosperity,” “ being filled” as well as “ going hungry,” and then “ having abundance” or “ suffering need” (v. 12). Then in verse 14, Paul mentions “ affliction.”
In verse 11 we also see that when Paul says “ I can do,” he means by “ do” the ability to “ be content in whatever circumstances I am in” (v. 11). The Phillips Translation brilliantly captures this linkage:
“ . . . I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
What the Apostle seems to be saying is that by the strength that His Lord abundantly supplies, he could live with contentment, peace, and joy as he endured the swinging pendulum of divine providence.
As you know, this letter was composed while Paul was suffering the first of his two imprisonments in the imperial city of Rome. Daily, he was bouncing between the radically opposed prospects of martyrdom and release (1:21-26), life and death, all the while rejoicing in the Lord, and fully content in the assurance that his painful “ circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (1:12).
Perhaps better than anyone, Paul knew that the life of a Christian disciple is one of such stark opposites: satisfaction and hunger, pain and healing, freedom and bondage, abundance and abject poverty, and even life and death. Such are the unseen and unfathomable ways of God. Our Father’s wise plans for us take us all through such extremes as these. And this fact is well-demonstrated throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures.
Every saint one could name has lived between such disparate, drastically contrasting boundaries. Each has experienced the sometimes violent swings between having it all and losing it all. As Job confessed early on in his journey down ‘Providence Avenue,’ “ the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
It is, then, the ability to “ be content” in all “ circumstances,” especially those experiences that exist at life’s polar opposites, that we “ can do through Him who strengthens us.” In Christ, we each possess the ever-abundant supply of divine power to endure, and even joyfully embrace, whatever comes from our Father’s hands.
Of course, a fuller understanding of this truth demands that we define ‘contentment.’ The larger context of the letter reveals that as Paul deploys this word “ content,” he means:
- Living with joy in all experiences as we walk with our Lord.
- Living with peace in every circumstance that our Father’s plan brings about.
- Living with trust in the unflagging love and faithfulness of our Father, even at the boundaries of His providence.
- Living with confidence that God’s greater purposes shall be accomplished.
To “ be content in whatever circumstances” our Father brings to us–that’s what we “ can do though Him who strengthens us”!
It is true enough that there will always be twists and turns for us as we follow our Lord. A good number of these will be severe, even treacherous, and will challenge us at many levels. But every turn in the road, every straight stretch of highway, every ascent, and every descent, is wisely and lovingly governed by our Great God and Father! And by His grace and strength, we can remain content, at peace, full of joy, always giving Him thanks, and fully confident that we will arrive at the destination He has ordained for us!
May all of this bring you great encouragement on this new Monday!
I love you all, with all of my heart,
Mike