Tag Archives: I can do all things

Stop holding on and just be held

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One of the misunderstandings of the Christian life is that we are always strong. We say, “In Christ I can do all things” as if it means we can jump tall buildings and stop speeding locomotives at our whim. Really, it speaks about learning the secret of being content and practicing the discipline of endurance. The heart of its message is depending on and being fully satisfied with God. When we are weak we need to hold on to God because he is our only real strength, the one who is faithful to us through all circumstances, however unbearable they seem.

 

But the premise is that we have enough strength to even hold on. If we could always hold on until things got better, would we need a great God to help us? In fact, many of you know by experience, there are times when you have no strength even to hold on. Life beats you up to the point you feel like you’re at the end of your rope and you are so weak, you can’t even hold on to the rope. You feel your faith is not enough and you want to give up, and let go. I’ve been there myself many times.

 

The good news is it’s not up to us to cling to God in our own strength. In fact, his strength is made perfect in our weakness. It’s his Spirit who empowers us (Acts 1:8) when we cooperate with him. It’s not all up to your effort. Instead of always holding on, there are sometimes you just need to let go and be held in his arms. Jesus says, “Come to me all of you who are tired and I will give you rest.”

 

Sometimes we’re called to be strong. But when you aren’t, stop holding on and just be held by your mighty and ever loving Father – the one who knows you, who sees you where you are, and longs to draw you close to him.  Let go and let yourself be held in his loving arms. Let him show you “your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place,” as you let him hold onto you.

 

Reflect on the lyrics of “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns:

Hold it all together, everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere and barely leaves you holding on

And when you’re tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There’s freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held
Just be held

If your eyes are on the storm you’ll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross you’ll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you’ll understand
I’m painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held
Just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you’ll find Me
And where you are, I’ll hold your heart
I’ll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won’t let go

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away
You’re not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place
I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held (stop holding on)
Just be held
Just be held

 

 

Nothing is impossible with God

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You’ve heard it so many times before:

 

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

We are more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37)

Nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)

 

These are all promises of God but how are we to apply them?  Because we believe in God and put our faith in him, are we assured that all our prayers will be answered according to our desires? That everything we want to achieve will be accomplished according to our plans?

 

Not our plans.

God’s plans.

 

The message of Luke 1 is that “Nothing is impossible with God.” Elizabeth was barren and she and Zechariah were quite old. But an angel of the Lord appeared and promised they would have a son who was to be dedicated to God. And it happened exactly as it was foretold. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, foretelling that even though she was a virgin, she would bear a son through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that her son’s kingdom would never end. And it happened exactly as it was foretold. Both births were humanly impossible, yet nothing is impossible with God.

 

Nothing is impossible with God because his plans are invincible. He is Almighty God who made everything from nothing. He is the author of wisdom and understanding, the creator of life itself. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He knew you before you were born. His power and love know no limits. He speaks and light appears. His son Jesus, The Light of the World, shines into the darkness of our troubles and illumines our path so we know how to walk in the path of peace, the very way to live our lives. He redeems our broken, lost, and hopeless lives with his great mercy and amazing grace. You can bear up under your difficulties because he will strengthen you with his strength and grace. Nothing is impossible with him!

 

Is this the God to whom you pray? When we pray the will of God for ourselves and others, we pray with the confidence that nothing is impossible for God when it comes to carrying out his good and perfect plan which far exceeds our own.

 

God has a good and perfect plan for you, better than you can imagine. Though circumstances look to be hopeless through your eyes, nothing can impede God’s perfect plan for those who seek him with their whole heart and trust him fully. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) It may not be the plan you foresee or even think you desire. The things we desire seem great to us, but sometimes they are like making mud pies in the street when God intends for us something immeasurably more grand. Nothing is impossible with God who loves you. You can turn over your daily to-do list and your very life ambitions to the God of all possibilities who loves you and will complete his perfect plan for you, if you let him.

 

Let your focus today be on the God for whom nothing is impossible.

 

Understanding “I can do all things”

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We cling to favorite verses, especially those that offer us comfort, strength, and hope. But real comfort and strength come from right understanding. To borrow from the field of photography, there are two ‘tools’ that help us understand scripture. One is a ‘wide angle lens’ that allows us to see the bigger picture. Another is a ‘zoom lens’ that allows us to examine a verse close up in more detail. Both look at verses in the context of their setting. As a single sentence fits within a paragraph, and a paragraph within a chapter, the single verse that we carry as a banner has contextual meaning that might be different from what you think it does.

 

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

 

Have you sometimes been tempted to think this means you will have supernatural abilities to accomplish impossible tasks on your to-do list? Or that, with enough faith you won’t be troubled by the excruciating pressures of life?  God might grant you supernatural strength to lift a car off an injured person or to achieve some other formidable task. But this is not the general meaning of this verse.

 

Looking at the bigger picture through our wide-angle lens, we see this verse set in the context of Paul’s letter to his beloved church in Philippi. The theme of his letter is of living in the joy of following Jesus. A sub theme in chapter four where we find this verse is encouragement to remain steadfast in faith and to pursue unity with others. Looking closer with our ‘zoom’ lens, we find the context of this particular verse, found in the verses that precede it:

 

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

 

Paul gives thanks to the church for their gifts and concern. He also explains why he is not in need: Because he has learned the secret of being content, regardless of having plenty or nothing. The secret is that his circumstances do not determine his outlook. He can maintain this outlook because he regards all things as loss compared to knowing Jesus. (Chapter 3)

 

None of us will ever be fully content pursuing our own personal gains and ambitions. But we can learn and apply the secret of being content in difficult circumstances by pursuing Jesus above everything else, with the very strength He gives through His Spirit who lives in you. Being able to be content in all things is a measure of faith in God verses faith in self. Got the “secret?”

 

 

All things

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“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to jump tall buildings in a single bound, this is a call for SUPER-CHRISTIAN! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

 

If this is your interpretation of Philippians 4:13, read on for another view.

 

The power of Jesus in the hearts of His believers is indeed an awesome thing, but is leaping over tall buildings or tall problems what this verse really is about? Let’s look at the context of this famous verse find the heart of the message.

 

Paul writes from his prison cell to the church at Philippi. He is telling them what we all need to practice: Rejoice in the Lord always. Be gentle to everyone. Don’t be anxious. Pray. Be thankful. Talk to God. Let God’s peace guard your heart. Think about noble and pure things. Live the way you have been taught.  (Philippians 4:4-9) And then he shares: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” And because of this he concludes: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (v 11-13)

 

Rather than being a ‘superhero’, Paul is sharing a much deeper and resilient truth about enduring struggles. It is the truth of the contented heart, the heart that chooses peace over anxiety, joy in the face of sorrow, purity when surrounded by corruption, gentleness in a harsh world, thanksgiving instead of bitterness, prayer before action.  Paul’s not rejoicing because his circumstances suddenly improved. He rejoices in learning the secret of being content in trusting God in all things. It is the spring of that refreshes us and protects us from the sorrow of discontent.

 

Perhaps the power of contentedness is not so much in ‘doing’ but in ‘being able’ to endure all things. Content in trusting His perfect will and His overcoming power, we can endure cancer, lose our job, suffer financial difficulty, be rejected by others…the list goes on to include “all things, in Christ who strengthens me.”

 

The power of “I can do all things in Christ” is not what we can do by flexing our muscles or working harder. It is not about us victoriously achieving our own dreams and ambitions.  It is about humbling ourselves before God, trusting Him to accomplish HIS plan salvation, trusting what Christ already has done and will continue to do in and through me for HIS perfect purpose. It comes from learning the secret of being content, trusting in Jesus.

 

What do you need to be content? Maybe, like Paul, you feel like you’re in a prison. Can you find a contented trust there? Let God speak to your heart and discover His ‘secret’ power for living content and victorious…through all things.

 

 

Can you really do all things through Christ?

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In the 1992 cartoon Aladdin, Alladin tricked the evil Jafar into wishing to be a more powerful genie than Genie himself. Jafar exclaims, “The universe is mine to command, mine to control!” But as the enslaving cufflinks form on his hands, Jafar is sucked into the tiny genie lamp which becomes his prison. Aladdin reflects, “Phenomenal cosmic powers. Itty-bitty living space.” Ah, the price of ‘uncontrollable power.’ 🙂

Perhaps in a strange way this points out how we are sometimes mislead by a simplified approach to achieving success and control over our lives. For example many people quote Philippians 4:13 as if it were a magic genie phrase: “I can do all things through him (Christ) who strengthens me.” It is absolutely true that believers in Jesus do have access to supernatural power, to overcome darkness, to endure suffering with faith, even to participate in God’s demonstration of miracles. But it is not quite the same as super hero powers that bring attention to ourselves.

In fact, whenever you come across a verse that speaks deeply to you, you might consider the context of that verse. Often the ‘secret’ that unlocks the truth of that verse is found just before, or sometimes just after the ‘famous’ verse. In this case, it is found in verses 11 and 12 of chapter four. Paul writes:
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Do you see it? It is not that he can outrun a speeding bullet or leap over a tall building or other physical feat. Nor does he automatically have the power to escape his painful circumstances. But he has learned to be content in whatever situation he confronts: prison, beatings, humiliation, shipwrecks, being falsely accused, and physical pain. His circumstances don’t control him. So rare is this, he calls it learning a “secret,” one that allows him to bear all things, to do all things, because in this contentment, Christ gives him the strength to do so.

This is not a contentment that says, “Oh well, I guess this is the best I get,” but rather a deep satisfaction that this situation will work for good, because that is God’s design. In fact he earlier proclaims, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” (Philippians 1:12) Bad things sometimes happen so good can be advanced!

I wonder, have you learned the “secret” of being content? It is something you may learn and apply, and then keep learning all your life. In what areas of your life could you be more content, and thereby learn to do all things?