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

God has promised to give us strength- his strength. This is a great comfort to us. We often feel as though we cannot live up to the demands of the Christian life, that we cannot be the people that God wants us to be. Of course often this conviction comes from an inadequate understanding of what God has resourced us with. Sure, no one is perfect and we will all fall short of who we know we should be, (thank God for his loving death on a cross and what that means for us), but I think the gospel is not just about forgiveness, it is also about empowerment to begin the work of being made into the likeness of Christ.

So Paul speaks of this promise in Philippians. He assures us (via the Philippians), that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength. In the particular context of Philippians this promise was given in reference to Paul's statement that he can be content in both poverty and riches. If he has to endure punishment, poverty and hardship- he is confident in the Lord's strength to that end.

But he is equally confident that even if he is blessed with plenty (which he seems to have been by the Philippians generosity) then in that too he can be content and can carry that well. Paul it seemed had a robust confidence in God's strength. This confidence did not manifest itself in a conviction that he would be blessed with abundance and victory at every turn but rather that he would be enabled to carry whatever came because of the strength of the Lord that would be manifest to him.

So what are you struggling with right now? Do you know that even in this God is "for you"? That he is up for resourcing you with the strength to meet that challenge. You can do everything through him who gives you strength.

Grace to you from Marcus.