Just for kicks, I thought it might be fun to dive deeper into some of the most popular verses which appear often in Christian popular media. We’re talking t-shirts, Facebook statuses, and those Live-Strong-esque rubber bracelets. These verses pop up all over the place, but have they lost some of their original oomph outside of their original contexts? This week, let’s take a look at…
Philippians 4:13-
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (NIV)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)
Where It’s Often Cited: sporting events, pep talks/rallies, the backs of Christian camp t-shirts
Original Context:
While there’s some question about the exact location from which Paul was writing, we know for certain he was in custody. Paul spends much of the first chapter of Philippians reflecting on his imprisonment and thanking the church at Philippi for keeping him in prayer and continuing to support him. Paul doesn’t know what his fate will be, but he makes an optimistic observation: to die means being with Christ, but to live means continuing to spread his message, so either way, he wins. From here, Paul speaks about humility and imitating Christ. He talks about his suffering and about breaking from the traditions he once held dear, and he writes all of this as a word of encouragement to the Philippians as they face their own struggles.
Given Paul’s tone of encouragement, I guess you could argue lifting his words and pasting them into pep talks is appropriate, but we need to remember: these words come from a place of great suffering and uncertainty, not a place of touchdowns and Christian rock concerts. Just prior to the verse in question, Paul talks about going hungry and being in need. Put back in the original context, Philippians 4:13 really says something like Christ gives me the strength to be hungry and needy and imprisoned; I can do these things because of him. These aren’t words of celebration; they’re words of determination and endurance. Such words ring a little hollow in arenas and jumbotrons; they fit better in prison cells and oncology units.
Perhaps this background can make Paul’s words more —not less— useful to us. This life throws us all kinds of curveballs. We’ll all face struggles we hadn’t counted on, and in those times, may we find God to be a source of strength— not judgement or condemnation or “I told you so”, but strength.
May we endure because Christ strengthens us.
May we persevere because Christ strengthens us.
May we find comfort because Christ strengthens us.
That’s the context of Philippians 4:13.