Unleashed: As You Go – Pray

“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” only because I learned (am learning) to be content in good times and bad, in wealth and in poverty or whether I am eating well or barely have enough. The secret is found in my relationship to Christ and only in that relationship to be able to do all things “through him who strengthens me.”

Many believers find comfort in quoting “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” during a crisis and stressful times of life, yet quickly forget to quote it during the good times. Contentment in any circumstance is the key that allows Christ to strengthen me to do all things.

Russell Conwell’s story of an African farmer in “Acres of Diamonds” exemplifies contentment well. The farmer sold his land and everything he had to go in search of diamonds and the wealth they would bring him. The farmer had a modest farm that provided for him and his family, yet the lure of wealth drove him to envy the stories of men who became rich prospecting for diamonds. The man spent the rest of his life in a vain search for diamonds that he thought would bring wealth and material contentment, but never found the true contentment of his soul. He came to the end of his life finding it empty until ultimately committing suicide.

However, the new owner of his farm found an interesting stone while working in the field and placed it on his mantle. According to the story, he had no idea that the pretty stone was anything but a stone until a visitor identified it as a diamond. It was just one of many diamonds to be found on his farm. The original farmer never found contentment though he walked daily on riches beyond his imagination.

Paul writing from a prison cell can testify that contentment isn’t about location or circumstances. We all agree that verse 13 is a great verse when facing difficult times but without the developing relationship with Jesus that brings contentment, it can leave you with a type of rabbit-foot faith. Contentment born out of a relationship with Christ provides for the when-I-can’t moments but keeps me balanced in the when-I-can opportunities. Learning contentment in all circumstances is the launch-pad that allows “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” to impact a life.

Paul quoted “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” only because he understood life through the lens of contentment. Somehow, I think he would have told the farmer that whether he barely survived on a farm growing corn, or if he flourished on a farm filled with diamonds, that his source of true life could only be found in Christ who would strengthen him.

Dallas Willard wrote, “He (Paul) succeeded in abundance because of his relation to Christ just as much as he succeeded by grace in his times of need. Few people understand that they need help to abound. The gospel is for the up-and-in as well as the down-and-out, equally so, and equally needed, from God’s point of view. The church’s solidarity with the poor cannot be realized until spirituality has a place in the boardrooms and factories, the universities and government offices, equal to what it has in the church house, the religious retreat, or the rescue mission.”

Jesus, I acknowledge my need for you no matter what my circumstances. If I struggle, then I ask for your grace. If I abound, then I ask for your humility. It is out of my relationship with you that “I can do all things through you who strengthens me.”

God is great,

Pastor Lynn