Everyone knows the verse. It’s the mantra of every athlete, every underdog. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” But what if we’ve been looking at it all wrong? How often have we actually looked at this verse in the context it was written in? In the past few weeks, God has really shown me what Paul meant as he was writing the book of Philippians and how this passage in particular is the secret to having a life full of joy.
The book of Philippians was a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church at Philippi. For the fancy church scholars, you can also refer to this an epistle, but I’ll keep it simple and just call it a letter. The church in Philippi was founded by Paul himself and was the first Christian church planted in Europe. He was pretty fond of them and they loved Paul as well. This is where Lydia, the woman who dealt purple cloth (meaning she was wealthy) lived and hosted many missionaries coming through.
When Paul was writing this letter to the church of Philippi, he was sitting in prison. Again. Paul’s ministry caused a lot of dissension among the people he preached to, which caused him to be thrown into prison at least 3 times during his life. But yet he did not stop talking about Jesus. He counted everything else in his life as a loss in comparison to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). When he wrote Philippians, he was talking to them about what he had discovered was truly important in life. Specifically, he writes in chapter 4, verses 11-14:
“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.”
This is something I want for my life and I feel life God is helping me learn how to live out. While preparing for the World Race, I am realizing how much I have, in terms of material items and support. God has been asking me to let go of the material items while breaking down my walls in asking and allowing others to support me. In today’s world, we are ingrained with a “me me me” mentality. Filling up our houses, bank accounts, and lives with things that will only benefit ourselves. However, this is not what God has asked us to do. He asks us to fill up so that we may overflow and share what we have with other people. This is the part that I’m really good at.
What has proven to be more of a challenge for me is receiving blessings from other people. My independent, self preserving mentality tells me that I am the one who made the decision to go on this mission trip, so it’s on me to raise the money and take care of all the preparation. But as Paul writes above, that’s never been the case in the kingdom of God. God asks us to live in community so that we can support one another. He knows that much of what He calls us to do are not things that we can do alone and we shouldn’t. When Paul says, “You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity,” I feel like this reflects exactly where I am at right now. I have so many people who love me and care for me, but up until this point have not had an opportunity to express that. This is now that opportunity. The early church overflowed in support for those who had been called to spread the gospel throughout the earth, and I am believing that God wants to do the same for me. The church we see in the Bible didn’t end with the original disciples and our God is the same then, now, and forever. He still has miracles and blessings to give to each one of us and I want to receive everything I can.
