Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We all love this verse, don't we? But check out the context and think about what this means for us.
If we have the Spirit of Jesus living in us, we can...
reconcile broken relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts (4:2-3),
choose joy even when life hurts (4:4),
overcome anxiety with peaceful prayer (4:5-7),
change our attitudes and transform our thought patterns (4:8-9),
and finally,
learn how to be content in every circumstance (4:10-19).
Think about it: What are we saying about Jesus and His Spirit if we declare, "I can't forgive that person, I can't endure this trial, I can't stop worrying, I can't get victory in my thought life, I can't survive without my (______)"?
The apostle Paul never accomplished anything for the kingdom in his own strength. Instead, he knew how to live in Jesus' strength by...
thanking God for His grace and mercy (1:3-8),
praying in Jesus' name (1:9-11),
relying on the Spirit (1:19),
treasuring Jesus more than life (1:20-26),
putting on the mind of Jesus (2:5-11),
counting all things loss for the excellence of knowing Jesus (3:7-11),
and eagerly waiting for the return of Jesus (3:20-21).
That's how we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us!
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