Philippians 4:11-13
Thoughts from Pastor Stuart
Dive Deeper
“Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:11-13
Behind the Scenes
So often verse 13 of this passage is misused and misquoted. People take it to mean that God will give me strength to do anything. We use it as an affirmation of God’s blessing on our life, as a nod to prosperity and success. But really the heart of this passage is just the opposite.
Paul explains in this passage that he had come to understand what it meant to live life in plenty and live it in want. He had lived with enough, and he had been starving. He had lived comfortably, and he had been persecuted. And in all circumstances, Paul had learned a secret that allowed him to be content regardless of where he was in life. He learned a secret that allowed him to rise above his circumstances, whether good or bad, (though often they were bad). He had learned an eternal truth that transcended any earthly feelings, situations, needs, or wants.
And what was that secret? That Jesus is enough. Period.
That’s it… That’s what he learned. See that is what he means when he says that he “can do all things through Him who strengthens.” He means that he can endure anything. He means that he can be content in anything. Let me say that again… ANYTHING.
What Paul is NOT saying is that God has somehow promised to give us whatever we want. He is not saying that God will always bless us or always allow us to have what we want. Instead, the secret that Paul learned was one of sweet surrender and trust in Christ alone. He had learned to let Jesus be more than just his Savior. He had learned to make Jesus his Sufficiency too. He had learned to let Jesus be his everything!
Make it Real
So many times in life I have found myself turning to God only when I’m in need. I have fallen into the lie that I’ve got this and that I’m strong enough. I have believed the lie that God always agrees with my wants and desires, that He is driven by the same motivations I am, and that He wills what I will for my life. Inevitably this has gotten me in trouble in the past. In this mindset, I find that I only turn to Him for help when I am stuck, never thinking of inviting Him into every part of my life.
This has been a constant exercise of faith for me over the past few years… to make Jesus more my sufficiency, to view Him in His entirety as more than just a “get out of jail free”
card, but as the very breath I breathe. I’ve learned that Jesus is more than just Savior- He is the Bread of Life, my all sufficiency, and the only think that has the power to fully complete and satisfy me.
See, this is the shift that Paul had undergone. This is the change that revolutionized his life. When he stopped viewing Jesus as limited or as only a part of his life, when he learned to make Jesus his whole life instead- that is what changed him. It is through this sufficiency mindset that Paul learned contentment in ALL situations.
Because, here’s the key- when Jesus is your sufficiency, you always have more than enough. When Jesus is the thing that defines our comfort, our security, our happiness, and our prosperity, then we are always more than okay! And when He holds that place in our lives, the details of whether we are in want or plenty, comfort or discomfort, pain or ease- those details are just details. They don’t get to be the main point.
And in the end, those details change. But God never changes. So, He is a MUCH more secure and stable defining point for us. When we keep Him at the center, everything else falls into place around Him and He keeps it all together. This is the secret that Paul learned. And if we want to live a life that reflects the contentment that Paul discovered, this is the secret we need to embrace as well.
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
I want to take a minute to just say THANK YOU! Thank You for being my enough. Thank You for being my sufficiency. Thank You for promising to give me everything I need in any circumstance I walk. Help me to learn to view you in my life from a view of sufficiency and not apathy. Help me to make You the point of my life, trusting You to be enough for me I ALL circumstances. Thank You for your patience with me while I learn what this looks like. Thank You for wooing me and loving me through all the ups and downs. Thank You for caring about me and my life.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen