Philippians 4:13 ... Don't Reduce the Text

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned to both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:11-13)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What a beautiful verse. It is also a very popular scripture. People will use this scripture to remind themselves that they can accomplish great things. An athlete may use it to train or to win games. A lawyer-to-be may use it to remind themselves that they can pass the bar exam. An entertainer may use it to encourage themselves to put forth their best performance.

God is able to help us. God is willing to help us, and it is a wonderful thing to know this. But I believe we, at times, reduce this text. This scripture is much more than what it’s made out to be. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul acknowledged the Philippians for their generosity. He said, “... no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only” (v.15).

So, when Paul mentioned that he can do all things through Christ, he meant he knew how to navigate good times and bad times with the help of the Lord. In context, it appears Paul was emphasizing finances and necessities. He knew how to be content when he abounded in all that he needed and when he was in a state of lack. He knew how to do this because Christ strengthened him regardless of the circumstance.

When we reduce this scripture to being only about worldly success, we are doing ourselves a grave disservice. We only see half the picture of this text when we assume this verse is only about the great things we can accomplish through Christ. It is so much more than that.

Through Christ, we are also able to withstand suffering. David wrote this in Psalm 139:8, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there.” David confessed that no matter how highly exalted he may have been or how lowly he may become, God would always be there with him. When we think of Paul writing about abasing and abounding through the strength of Christ, it means we can do all things with Christ—we can win, we can lose, we can triumph, we can fail, we can laugh, we can grieve, we can get through all things because Christ is our strength. It may not be easy, but through Christ, it can be done.

If we make this text only about the good things, we may forget that Christ also gives us strength through trials. Yes, God can aid an athlete in winning a game, but he can also help him/her sort through their emotions if they lose the game. Yes, God can help an aspiring lawyer pass the bar, but he can also comfort them if they fail. Yes, God can help an entertainer perform well, but he can also help them if they literally break a leg… if they find themselves in the hospital for some unforeseen circumstance, Christ can supply the strength they need to endure. If God can help us abound, certainly he can help us abase.

And although no one likes to abase, there is a glory seen in the valley of abasing that is not visible on the mountaintop of abounding. Christ gives a different level of comfort and strength to the person in the valley than to those on the mountain. A woman in labor needs more comfort than a woman who's not. A man in poverty needs more assistance than a man in prosperity. They both need God’s grace, but they require different levels of comfort… different levels of strength. The one abasing needs more from God …

And God provides the more. It must be a beautiful thing to experience the more. Lazarus and all of those who witnessed his resurrection experienced this. Most people healed by Jesus went from sickness to health, but he went from death to life. Lazarus saw more. He saw a type of glory that is not visible to those abounding, but to those abasing.

Yet, if someone is abounding, they are only able to abound by the power and mercy of God. It is through Christ that they are able to prosper (Deuteronomy 8:18). Those who abound also experience life by the strength of Christ. They also view glory at a different level than those who are abasing.

No matter the circumstance, Paul stated that he learned to be content. And again, he learned this because his strength to remain content came from Christ. So, may God grant us the strength to be content no matter the circumstance. May God be to us what he has been to others through the good times and the bad.

Yes, read Philippians 4:13 and be inspired to do all things through Christ. Be encouraged to do wonderful and mighty things according to God's will. But don’t reduce the text. Be edified in believing that this text applies to all seasons of our lives. Indeed, through sunshine and rain, sleet and snow, deep valleys, high water, or mountaintops, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Dear reader, that’s all I have for you today. May God bless you and keep you. Until next time, take care.

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 Thank you for reading this week's Write On! Wednesday word. New articles and videos are posted every Wednesday at noon. The YouTube Channel is here: https://YouTube.com/@nowthatsaword

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Sincerely,

Quin Arrington