Content in All Situations

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Many of us grew up in our Christian faith engaging with this statement in stand-alone fashion, severed from its context.

The way I heard it applied led me to interpret this verse to mean, “I can do whatever I set my mind to in the strength of Christ.”

It became the Christian version of the secular “I can do whatever I set my mind to” and “I can be whatever I want to be.”

Interpreting the verse this way gives us license, as Christians, to continue to believe we can do anything by simply tacking on the addendum, “in the strength of Christ.” And with that kind of strength, so the thinking goes, there is no way we can fail.

This is how we twist Jesus into a stamp of approval to attempt anything we want and to feel spiritually entitled to attain it.

We anoint ourselves with super-hero status: if there is something we cannot do, or are clearly failing at, we keep at it because, sooner or later, in the strength of Christ, by gosh and by golly, we’ll do it!

(And if anyone around us sees our attempt differently, or gets in the way, we are quick to lament, “Satan is attacking me”). So much for Godly counsel and Scripture’s clear teaching on the gifting of individuals with various, and dissimilar, gifts!

When we look at the context—meaning, when we do not take this verse out of context but in fact keep it in its Scriptural context—we see something very different than Jesus rubberstamping us to “Be all that you want to be and do all that you dream to do.”

Here is the verse in its context:

“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been 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 everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:10-13

As we read the above paragraph in its entirety, we see that it does not talk one iota about doing anything specific.

It does not air a laundry list of Paul’s accomplishments, which, if we want that list, can be found elsewhere, in a different context, but not here.

So what is the point and why does it matter?

When Paul says, “I can do everything,” it comes immediately after his confession that he has learned to be content in all situations. That is what he is qualifying!

Contentment in all situations. That is what he has learned to be—to do—through the strength of Christ. That is Paul’s point!

How this verse became a red cape for Christians to fly around in thinking we can “do whatever we set our mind to in the strength of Christ” is curious indeed.

Why is this important?

Because I have witnessed people, including myself, jettison their God-given gifts—gifts that often never become perfected—because we got it into our noggins that, with Christ, we are not limited at all to the giftedness God gave us! In fact, we feel we can totally ignore our innate talents, personality and disposition in lieu of reinventing ourselves in our own image.

This often takes the form of forcing ourselves into an archetype expected of us by our corporate church, or jumping on the bandwagon of the Christian fad du jour.

What ensues, enhanced and promoted by the human-imposed corporate church hierarchy that determines what constitutes a “strong Christian,” is that we have people with no musical talent whatsoever striving to be in the worship band.

We have people in leadership who would most benefit the church in administration.

We have youth leaders (the coolest of all standings within a corporate church) who really work better with adults, or perhaps in the area of poverty alleviation and crisis relief.

We have people who become international evangelistic missionaries when an inner city urban youth soccer ministry would have been their sweet spot.

We have moms and dads “pouring into” their corporate church while their home life starves.

We have folks limiting themselves to the confines of their corporate church box, not confident that faith lived outside of corporate church counts, or is legitimate. 

Rebellion from God comes in many forms. Not least of all the rebellion of Christians against their God-given gifts, their God-given situations, and their God-given relationships.

So, while we’re over here attempting to “do” something God would not have us do to begin with, all because of the frequent quoting of Philippians 4:13, we’re not actually “doing in the strength of Christ,” we are rebelling in the power of the flesh.

Let’s go back to context, and look at the two paragraphs preceding Philippians 4:10-13:

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Phil 4:4-9

Does that sound like contentment? It is, and it is the road map to Paul’s being content in “any and every situation” which he states just a few verses later.

(Also note, lest we be tempted to hijack the part about "present your requests to God," that this results not in our requests being granted, but in the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. God may determine that what we are requesting is not what He wills. But He will grant us His peace). 

Because Paul is teaching everyone to do this—to rejoice in the Lord always, to be gentle and not anxious, to pray and be thankful, to think about such things as are noble, true and right, and to practice them—it follows then that everyone can do this—do it most certainly—in the power and strength of Christ. 

And contentment—the peace of God—will surely follow.

That is the “everything” we can “do” in the strength of Christ: regardless of persecution; regardless of sickness; regardless of poverty; regardless of wealth; regardless of hardships; and regardless of abundance.

In Christ’s strength we can, like Paul, be content.

That is the meaning of Philippians 4:13.