“I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Philip. 4:13
In his book of illustrations, “Feathers For Arrows,” Charles Spurgeon
quotes an old farmer who was asked if he knew how to read Greek. “I don’t know,
replied the optimistic fellow, “I never tried.” We smile, but isn’t that the
way we should all look at some new challenge placed before us? Until you’ve tried,
you can never say for sure that it was beyond your capabilities. Paul wrote these
words in chapter four of his letter to the Philippian believers from a prison
cell. And he did so after having instructed them to persevere in the Faith, be
a help and encouragement to one another, rejoice in any and all circumstances,
practice moderation in all things, dissolve their cares in prayer, monitor their
thought lives, and provide for his own needs from time to time (vv. 1-11). It
would seem to me, this was the perfect place to insert those ten words: “I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.” What do you
think?
Why
are some of us more fearful to embark on a new challenge or endeavor than
others of us? Some, no doubt, were prepared for failure more than success as
children, but since it cannot be undone, to dwell on that instead of where we
are today, is to provide ourselves an excuse, but not a remedy. Sometimes there may be a legitimate physical
fear that we’re called upon to face. At such times, verses like Deuteronomy
31:6 and Isaiah 41:6 can bolster the faintest of heart. And consider these
powerful words of encouragement found in Ezra: “Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee:
be of good courage and do it” (10:4).
To
my way of thinking, however, Proverbs 29:25
and Job 12:4 come closest to the nub of the problem. “The fear of man bringeth a snare”; “I am as one mocked of his
neighbor…the upright man is laughed to scorn.” We’re afraid of being
ridiculed for our less than spectacular performance. It goes without saying,
this is a sure indication of seeking the praise of men more than the praise of
God. And just remember, when it comes to being “laughed to scorn,” it happened
to the Best of us (Matt. 9:24). It was Jesus who praised Mary’s initiative by
saying, “She hath done what she could.” (Mk.
14:8). But she wouldn’t have earned the praise of God if she hadn’t taken
the initiative; if she hadn’t tried.
The
“all things” of Philippians 4:13 are accomplished “through Christ.” Paul did
not part the Red Sea or raise the dead, but he did saturate Europe and Asia
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and was able to legitimately tell the
believers in Philippi, “Those things,
which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do…” (v.
4:9). And when it came time to die, he could say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). But he would
not have done any of it if he hadn’t tried.
I’m
doing things today I would never have dreamed possible ten or fifteen years
ago. And I still have aspirations that would
probably make you roll your eyes or laugh…maybe even laugh me to scorn. J By God’s grace, I
want to make sure I give every one of the “all things” God puts before me a
good try. When someone asks me, “Can you do such-and-such?” if I haven’t, I
want to say with confidence, “I don’t know; I’ve never tried….yet!”