“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13
We’ve probably all heard this Bible verse at some point in time. The most common application I’ve seen or heard for this verse is when athletes quote it before a big game, or after the game as a way to give God the credit for a victory. At the Super Bowl recently, I can only imagine just how many players & coaches reflected on this verse. Can you imagine how much pressure they must have been facing as they prepared for the biggest game of their lives?? I must admit that I’ve prayed this before a big test or an important meeting when I needed to have encouragement and confidence.
When we take a step back and look at the whole passage where this verse comes from, though, we see Paul is writing to the Philippian Church about God’s provision in all areas of life. Paul was literally in prison when he wrote this letter, and he wanted to encourage the church and to give them the secret to facing the trials and adversity of life. In verses 11-12, Paul says “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.” This is the context of Paul being able to say in verse 13 that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
When we understand that God cares for us, provides for us, and that he is with us in every circumstance, we can rest in the fact that the strength we need to get through every adversity, every trial, every heartbreak is that we are able to face those things by being content in the Lord and letting Him supply our strength. If we take this whole passage into context we see that verse 13 isn’t only for God to bless us in a situation where we hope to prevail, but rather He blesses us in our seasons of need, our seasons of plenty, through hunger, and adversity. He gives us strength not because we deserve it, but because He loves us and knows that we need His strength!
In his book “The Christian Athlete,” Brian Smith says that “We wrongly claim Philippians 4:13 to help us succeed in sports, but what God is saying in this verse is that we already have everything we could ever need in Christ. More satisfying than gaining people’s approval is getting to a place where you no longer need it. That’s the real promise of this verse. And it’s infinitely better than how we often use it.”
But how do you get there? How do you find contentment in Jesus, and not in the approval and applause of other people? How do you find joy in Christ in not only your victories but especially in your losses? You have to understand the whole story of the Gospel. The Gospel is translated to mean “Good News,” and in fact it is the best news that you could ever receive!
You have to understand that you are sinful, and that your sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23). That separation from God is something that you can’t fix on our own, no matter how good you are or try to be (Isaiah 64:6). There are consequences for sin that must be paid (Romans 6:23). God sent Jesus to rescue you from the punishment that you deserve and could never repay on your own (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8) because He loves you! If you confess your sins to God and follow Him, you will be saved (Romans 10:9; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 2:24). As a Child of God you will be able to serve Him from a place of love and not from a place of fear. Those feelings of chasing a victory and praying Philippians 4:13 in hopes of success can be replaced with a feeling of contentment in who God is and what He has done in your life. You can be free from the pressure of producing, because you can be content in every circumstance when you surrender your life to Jesus!