Philippians 4:11–13
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Psalm 119:11
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Phillippians 4:13 Is one of the most misquoted verses of the bible. You may have seen it on a cool tattoo, a bumper sticker, or a t-shirt. You know it, you love it! It says, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” In a narcissistic world, we love this verse. In a self-absorbed perspective, the main character of this verse are me, myself, and “I.” “I can do all things.” Of course, that’s not the end of the verse; it says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” It’s so convenient to simply tag in God at the end of our narrative. How a story is told reveals the main character. When we talk about life, who is the main character in our story? When we take a test, play a game, run a race, or apply for a job, how do you pray? Who is the main character of your life story? It’s easy to ride on our accolades of greatness when the story is positive and certain, but the moment things go south or seem uncertain, what do you do? It’s easy to want the credit when things are going right, but who is the first to blame when things go wrong? When your expectations do not meet reality, who do you blame? When tragedy strikes, who do you blame? When you lose the job, who do you blame? We blame God when things are out of our control and happily take the credit when we are in control. If you are a fan of the show “The Office,” you may be like Michael Gary Scott when he tells his boss David Wallis, “I want all the credit without any of the blame.” Without reading the previous verses in the passage, we are deceived by our part in God’s bigger story. Phillippians 4:11-13 is not talking about being great and giving God a shout-out in the ending of movie credits. It says, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for 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. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The message puts verses 12-13 like this, “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy, whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything with the One who makes me who I am.” This scripture passage does not say, “I can do all things with a bit of help from Jesus.” The passage is saying, “in all suffering, I can be joyful and content in Christ.” In your suffering, are you content in Christ? It’s easy to be satisfied in Christ on the mountain top; it takes prayer, submission, and confidence in His narrative that we can be content in the valley low. Above all else, we must believe that Christ’s bigger story is far greater than our current reality. The most incredible adventure of life is found in the death of ourselves and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we trust God to hold the pen to our life story, all the pressure is off. Eternal satisfaction in Jesus Christ is found when He is the main character of our life story. Read the Bible in context. Do not read a passage and make yourself God. Hide His word in your heart and replace the lies with the truth. May His great truth set you free from spiritual dissatisfaction.
This devotional is an excerpt from the 5-day satisfaction Bible study! For more content on satisfaction, subscribe to receive your study!
