I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
This was my Mamaw’s favorite Bible verse, and she reminded us of it all the time. They are words I have heard my entire life, and words we see illustrated so often in the Christian community. But, until this morning, I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to really think: what does it mean for Christ to be my strength?
I looked up the definition of “strength,” and I found 12 varying definitions. Three of these really caught my attention in the context I was searching for…
- The degree of intensity of a feeling or belief.
- Capacity of an object to withstand great force or pressure.
- A good beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing.
For the Lord to be our strength, it means:
- Our belief in Him is intense and solid. It is the governing factor of our lives.
- We are able to persevere through our hardest seasons and withstand the pressures of our daily lives because we’re firmly rooted in faith and hope- believing God’s promise from Romans 8:28.
- He is the goodness in us. On our own, we are sinful creations driven by fleshy desires. With the Holy Spirit, we have been made new, and are now branches drawing from the vine of Jesus- overflowing with the goodness of God and displaying the fruits of His spirit.
I hope, from now on, you’ll read Philippians 4:13, and so many others, differently. I hope you’ll sit with it. I hope you’ll ponder it. I hope you’ll embrace it. And if you aren’t already, I hope you’ll begin to truly live it.