Misunderstood Bible Verse: “I Can Do Everything Through Christ. . .”

          And Abraham Lincoln and the NFL. That's a peculiarly cool subtitle, but it's too long to put up top.

          Anywho, I distinctly remember that, in 5th grade at my Christian grammar school, we learned about Abraham Lincoln’s quote where he expressed that his “constant anxiety and prayer” was not that God was on his side, but that he was on God’s side. The details of that quote and the faith of Abraham Lincoln are more complicated, but, even as a 5th grader, I understood the distinction. Desiring God to be on your side likely displays a desire for militant strength and victory, whereas desiring to be on God’s side likely shows a humble willingness to subject (and maybe even sacrifice) your cause to biblical standards. God isn’t a supernatural vending machine.

          I bring this up because a few popular Bible verses, even in Christian children’s literature, might need a little bit more context so that more kids understand the aforementioned distinction as did Lincoln (e.g. VeggieTales smartly explained the context of Matthew 19:26b). The most popular of these verses is Philippians 4:13 - “I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.”   

          This verse is often taken out of context to lead readers to believe that God may (or sometimes will always) empower His follower to miraculous victories over circumstances, as long as said follower has “enough faith” and “righteous motive.” That idea (only using the word “may”) is somewhat biblical, but it’s going a bit human-centered. One sign of the popularity of this misconception is a recent article in the Huffington Post that listed religious players in the NFL. Its catchy Tweet? Something along the lines of “Which NFL teams have God on their side?”

          The truth is that God strengthens us for what He desires us to accomplish for His will. The apostle Paul wrote that verse while in prison, awaiting trial on an appeal to Emperor Nero. He was writing to the churches in Philippi (churches whose work he was pleased with) and thanking them for sending him support of finances, food and prayers to God on his behalf. So, after thankfulness, when Paul reminds them that he can do “everything” through Christ’s strengthening, the “everything” refers to what God desires of him: his nomadic mission work. Which involved a lot of pain, strain, and sacrifice of all forms. It wasn’t a creative self-prescribed venture to which Paul was long emotionally-attached.

          Thus, let’s not run to Philippians 4:13 to ask for God’s power for a cause or venture that we haven’t necessarily thought or prayed through. Let’s seek to first know God’s will and desire for our earthly life and mission. We know what Paul’s “everything” was for which Christ strengthened him. What’s in the “everything” for which Christ will strengthen you?