“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
I know very few Christians who don’t have this verse memorized, and yet I know many many Christians who don’t seem to really understand what this verse is saying. This verse doesn’t say, “I can do all things for Him who strengthens me to do all things.” So many believers, in the life situations that they find themselves in, are sincerely doing the best they can, trusting that Christ will strengthen their efforts, and as a result, they either burn out or live wearing spiritual veils to try to hide internal frustration, anger, resentment, despair, and depression. What Philippians 4:13 actually says is that everything I do in life must be done THROUGH Him, who is my strength, instead of for Him who strengthens my efforts. Jesus wants us in obedient faith to steward His effort through us to do all things, and as we steward His effort, we experience His strength to keep going. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV says, “Faithful is He who calls you WHO also will do it.” Whatever in life He has called you to, He has promised to be the one who does it. That doesn’t mean you’re to sit down and wait for Jesus to show up and perform the duties of life. It means that we are to show up to face the duties of life knowing and trusting that He in His strength will do it through us. Christians try so hard, and according to Romans 7, the harder they try, the harder they fall. Remember, the Christian life isn’t hard; it’s impossible, and only Jesus Christ is the one who can successfully do it, and Jesus has clothed Himself with our weak humanity so that He can demonstrate His adequacy, receiving all of the glory. “But we have this treasure (the glorious life of Christ) in earthen vessels (that’s us), that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.” Stop jumping into life with your emotional sleeves rolled up, doing your best for Christ, believing that He will keep giving you strength to do your best for Him. Instead, Jump into life every day with the hilarious anticipation that Christ who lives in you has rolled up His sleeves and is prepared to demonstrate His strength by doing His best through you. LIVING FROM CHRIST!