I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me (Php 4:13)…
Could Paul possibly mean this?
Did the apostle really believe that there was nothing he could not do?
The answer is this: When the Apostle Paul said that he could do all things, he meant ALL things which were God’s will for him to do.
He had learned that the Lord’s commands are the Lord’s enablements.
He knew that God would never call on him to accomplish some task without giving the necessary grace.
All things probably applies not so much to great feats of daring as to great privations and hungerings.
How could Paul be content?
His contentment did not come through will power or the power of positive thinking.
Paul was not a member of the Stoic philosophic school.
It was Jesus Christ who enabled him to be content.
“The secret of Paul’s independence was his dependence upon Another.
His self-sufficiency in reality came from being in vital union with One who is all-sufficient.”
Earlier in this letter, Paul explained that the most important thing in life was to center on Christ (2:7-11).
Contentment is a fruit of doing that.
“All things,” in the context here, included being content with little or much materially, but Christ can enable His children to do many other and even greater things than this (cf. Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37).
“Paul . . . never allowed his weaknesses or perceived weaknesses to be an excuse for inactivity, or for a failure to attempt the impossible task.
They in a sense became his greatest assets, and surrendering them to Christ he discovered that they were transformed for his own enrichment and for the enrichment of others.”
Paul spoke from experience. He had been through the extremes: surplus and poverty.
He knew how to weather the dangers of both.
This was his secret. Greek and Roman religions had secret initiation rites.
Some religions and philosophies prided themselves on secret knowledge.
Can we really do everything?
We receive all the power we need in union with Christ when we do His will and face the challenges that arise from our doing it.
He does not grant us superhuman ability to accomplish anything we can imagine without regard to His interests.
As we contend for the faith, we will face troubles, pressures, and trials.
What does God want you to do?
Step out in faith and do it, trusting Him for the strength you will need.
Paul had a different kind of secret. His secret was his reliance on Christ, a reliance gained through his Christian experience.
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Here are 20 Things God Can Not Do
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