I Can Do All Things

I recently came across the statement, “We’re not held back by what we don’t have but by what we don’t use.” Similarly, I used to joke with a friend, saying, “Instead of focusing on what we can’t do, let’s focus on what we can do!” So, what can we do?

Some will twist Scripture to fit their beliefs. For example, when Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” I can be tempted to emphasize what I must do rather than what Christ has already done. Let me explain.

Consider the context of Paul’s declaration: “… I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11b–13)

A few noteworthy points stand out here. Most important is understanding that the secret is not self-sufficiency but Christ-sufficiency. Only in Christ can we be content in all things and able to do all things. We may understand this in theory, but it is another matter to live it out.

James tells us how to walk through trials: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2–4)

“Consider [trials] an opportunity for great joy” is not masochistic counsel but a spiritual reality. Unless my joy and contentment exceed life’s circumstances, I will be empty, hopeless, and unable to do anything. The only true and lasting hope in this life extends beyond the things we commonly look to for meaning. Money, toys, and homes will not satisfy as fully as the contentment Paul has found in Christ.

Paul tells us that when we know Christ and fix our eyes on him, we will have an eternal hope. Hebrews 12 puts it this way, “… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1b–2).

Remembering who Jesus is and what he did for us enables us not only to endure life’s circumstances and hardships but also to be content and celebrate in them, knowing that God holds us in his hand.

I know some may be skeptical, but consider this with me for a moment: if this isn't true, you have no hope. If whatever you are trusting in cannot give you hope in times of trial, what good has your faith done you? Paul offers an alternative in Christ: “For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Scripture teaches that Christ, not human self-sufficiency or willpower, gives us the power to persevere. Only when I believe and understand this will my life make sense, and I will find contentment and joy.

The problem is that when we look to the people around us or to the things we have for validation and purpose, we stop looking to God. As a result, we look for meaning and hope in the temporal rather than the eternal; we choose what feels good now over what can have an everlasting impact. This pursuit leaves us empty.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” must be more than a bumper-sticker slogan; it must be a way of life. With my eyes on Christ, I can not only survive but also thrive. Knowing Christ's love changes everything. As Paul says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Enduring trials is greater than merely tolerating them. When we walk by faith in prayer, we will find that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). When we rest in this truth, we will discover what it means to be able to do “all things through Christ who strengthens me.”