“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Paul the apostle penned these words to the church at Philippi (Philippians 4:11, KJV).
Note that Paul does not say he was born with the ability to be content no matter what his state was. But he said he had to learn how to do that. By being content, he means that no matter what state he was in, he maintained a sense of being adequately supplied for the situation at hand.
This is a phenomenal statement by the apostle. He faced much persecution for the gospel. He was beaten, even left for dead. He suffered imprisonment as well. Through it all, he learned to be content no matter what his state was.
Paul goes further to say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (verse 13). A major objective of biblical Christianity should be to bring every believer to this bold conviction. But arriving at this conviction is not incidental to the salvation experience. The Lord’s apostle said he had to learn this. We have not fully arrived as Christians until this becomes our conviction about life; that is, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
At times, we experience tests that we can’t handle alone. But the good news is that we don’t have to. We have the Lord as our Helper. Through Him, we can do all things.
“All Things” Through Christ Does Not Mean All Things Literally
Let’s quickly talk about the phrase “all things” in the verse above. At times, believers embrace and pursue ambitions that God has no part in. Some of those pursuits are no more than the desires of their flesh. To make it sound all spiritual, they quote the verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
But when Paul the apostle says he can do “all things,” he does not mean “all things” literally. Rather, he means “all things” that have been sanctioned by God for his life or that God allowed to test him. That is the limit of the applicability of the verse quoted above. It is also the context in which I mean “all things” in this blog post.
Christians are not exempt from difficult times in life. Actually, we go through some of the same mess unbelievers go through. But a world of difference exists between us and them. We have the Lord on our side. He is the source of our strength. And through Him we are more than overcomers.
Sometimes, people do desperate things in desperate times. For instance, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, suicide, crime, etc. They are just trying to find some relief or some escape. But these are not the answer. A personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, AND the conviction that we can do all things through Christ is the answer.
So, what kind of challenge is raising its ugly head in your life today? Through Christ, you can overcome. He is the one who strengthens you. Believe that no matter where you are in life, the grace of God is sufficient for you.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.