Who Does The Strengthening (Context)

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Hello, many of us have heard, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." However, we do not always get the full context. (Context youth is whenever you have words or events that happen in a statement or story supporting what is happening in the story.) In this passage of scripture, we need to read the entire thing and not just pick out that the Lord can strengthen me to find success and only ever succeed in what I want to do. We often miss read this massage and go I can do all I want to do today because the Lord has given me strength. But that is not what this scripture is saying. Let's reread it but show what Paul was saying before verse 13 only.

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. I am not speaking of being in need, for I have learned whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:10-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul, the author of Philippians, wrote most of the new testament in the Bible, was in prison because he had been sharing the gospel (good news). He was truly living in God, and he found strength in him; what he says is the secret to any situation, whether you are poor and hungry or have plenty, find strength in the Lord. Whether you have an abundance of something or you live in need, the secret is still to discover what God wants you to do at that moment, and when you find what he wants the strength will come and can get you through the situation. Paul says be content right?

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

Content means that you are satisfied, and you can be content/satisfied when you are in troubling times, not just when you are living in abundance or have a plenty of stuff. Remember Paul said he had found the secret, which was finding doing all things through Christ. Meaning you filter what you want to do through what he has commanded or wants you to do, then he will give you strength to get through it. We must rely on Christ in all of our lives, not just when it is easy and not just when it is hard to do so, being content.

Thank you for reading!