Integrating a Christian worldview into every area of your life.

Integrating a Christian worldview into every area of your life. In Philippians 4:13 the apostle Paul writes, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." But what does that mean? Here at Focus on the Family, our counselors often hear from believers who have become disillusioned in their faith when they feel God isn't blessing them despite their earnest attempts to serve Him. In the context of the entirety of Philippians 4, Paul says that our experience of either want or satisfaction is ultimately an internal rather than an external reality. It has less to do with one's material circumstances than with a certain mental and spiritual attitude. The secret, he explains in verse 11, is contentment, a word which, in the original language, denotes something like "self-sufficiency." It's the ability to "make do" in all kinds of situations. His point is that when we have Christ, we have everything. It doesn't matter if we're rich or poor, successful or defeated, naked or clothed, homeless or sheltered. This is the revolutionary perspective that informs Paul's assertion: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He is not saying that Christians will never go hungry or suffer want, nor is he claiming that God will protect the believer from every danger. What he is asserting is that, if you belong to Christ, God will enable you to bear the burden whatever your lot may be. For more ways to strengthen your faith, visit FocusOnTheFamily.com.