All Things Through Christ
Philippians 4:12-13 says, “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.”
Paul’s message is simple. Facing hunger? Live through Christ. Facing abundance? Live through Christ.
The command to rejoice in all things is built on the faithfulness of God.
When we are in need, we rejoice in the Lord. He provides the inner strength to move forward, and he is faithful to provide just what we need in the natural. On the other hand, when we have plenty, we rejoice because he is still better!
Paul’s “secret” could very well be a life of dependency on God expressed through continual joyfulness and gratitude.
We love to quote this verse, but if we counted the cost of what Paul is saying, we might not be so quick to glamorize this idea. The life he is describing faces as much lack and suffering as it does glory (if not more). The real message of Philippians 4:13 might not even become evident to us until we are facing a crisis like hunger.
Are we willing to “flip” a situation from dread into glory? Are we able to elevate God above even the best things in our lives and continue to delight in him first? Maybe it is easier to write about how happy the Christian life is, but you and I both know we need something more than surface-level hype. Life gets real, and Paul is equipping us to live through it victoriously.
I pray that we abide in this secret of living every moment through Christ. Here is the best part: God is so good he will discipline and train you in this way of life. Our task is not to figure out how to live in this secret but to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, who empowers us and gives us the desire to live surrendered.
Amen.
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