Revisiting an Old Idea

I have long said that Philippians 4:13 is my favorite verse. It says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Being the perennial underdog I found a great deal of comfort in this verse, I liked knowing that I could do the impossible, I liked the thought that though I had several limitations I was unbreakable and could beat the odds, it made me feel strong.

Lately I’ve come to realize that there are many things I cannot do. There are battles in my life that I won’t win, goals I’ll never see accomplished, and dreams that will die. It was very hard early on this year to realize that I was severely flawed and there were things I could never beat. My own strength and capacity were not enough, I had better quit fighting or waste away in the process. Does this mean that the verse is not true though, could it be that I based my life off of a lie?

The answer is yes and no. Yes because of my interpretation, but no to what I find it really means. I took the verse quite literally, I thought I was superman and nothing could beat me. I thought my goodness and drive would keep me safe and that no matter what happened around me I could just dust my shoulders off and keep on moving. It’s not the case though, there are things I simply cannot do. So, what does “all things” really mean? I think that it means that after all I have been through I am still here. I survived, I lived through it and grew in my faith. When life got tough I stumbled but I did not give up or give in, I never lost hope. I won’t be a major league baseball player or super rich and famous, but I will have my faith, my strength, and the people who love me. At the end of the day that is what “all things” means to me, that no matter what I go through I’ll keep going strong by God’s strength. While I had to lose some tough battles, I take great joy in knowing I still have God despite all that I went through.