Can You Really Do Everything?

I think one of the most misunderstood and often over-used verses has to be Philippians 4:13 - "I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength." This verse has often been used to affirm people's lofty, and often selfish, goals. It has been used flippantly and arrogantly by some; which leads me to wonder if they really know who first spoke those words and the context from which they came.

Philippians is a joy-filled letter from Paul, encouraging and rejoicing over the believers in Philippi. He wants them to know that his joy is not found in his circumstances, as he is in prison awaiting trial for preaching the Gospel, but in his relationship with Christ. He reminds them that their happiness is only contingent on the "happenings" around them, but true joy comes from God.

We can learn from Paul's attitude. Even if we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, we can always rejoice in the Lord who controls our circumstances! We must fix our attention on Him. He may not change our situation, but He will change us and that is even better!

In Philippians 4, Paul explains how he has learned to be content in any and every situation. He has experienced great wealth and great poverty. He has been well fed and hungry. He has known human strength and weakness. I would venture to say that not many of us are in a similar situation as Paul, yet we struggle with being content in what we have and where we are. But regardless of his surrounding and situations, he has confidence that he can do all things through the strength he's receiving from Christ.

So back to my original question - can we really do everything? The power we receive in union with Christ is sufficient to do His will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it. He does not grant us superhuman ability to accomplish anything we can imagine without regard to His interests. Let's look at what we can do:

1) I can do everything God calls me to do. We have strength in Christ to do what God has planned for us to do for Him. Once we get past the idea that it's all about us and what we want, we can draw on this strength, power and wisdom, to complete His unique purpose for us . And in the end, God is glorified, not ourselves.

2) I can do everything God commands me to do. We need strength in order to live the Christian life - successfully. We are commanded to love, obey, trust, follow, rejoice, live pure lives, resist temptation, etc. Is this really possible to do in our own strength? Can we pick and choose commands that we will attempt on our own and others that we ask for help with? When we live a victorious life - through Christ's strength - God is glorified, not ourselves.

3) I can do everything God convicts me to do. I don't know about you, but this one requires alot of super-natural power sometimes. There are times when I'm convicted to forgive, confront, repent, surrender, practice patience and perseverance and I just don't want to. This is when I must draw on Christ's power to be able to do everything God convicts me to do. And when I do, I know God is pleased and glorified - not myself.

What is God calling, commanding and/or convicting you to do today? Know that you can do everything He wants you to do - through Christ's strength and power - not your own.

BLOG COMMENT: What has your "everything" looked like? Have you been trying to do it all in your own strength and perhaps for your own glory?

How Do You Give Thanks?

As Paul addressed the new believers in the Ephesus churches, he did so from a Roman prison cell as he awaited his trial before Caesar. He wanted to be an encouragement to the new Christians as he knew he would probably never see them again. Throughout the book of Ephesians, we see repeatedly, various forms of thanksgiving - so let's look at them today!

1) Praise - Paul begins his letter with reminding the believers of the many blessings that God has lavishly given them because of His glorious grace (1: 3-8). Are you praising God this week for the blessings He's given you - regardless of their size or significance?

2) Prayer - In 1:16, Paul says - "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers." Paul had nothing but the people in his lives. All his worldly possessions had been taken away as he now spends his time in prison, praying for those he is thankful for. Have you thanked God for the people in your life and then prayed for them?

3) Proper Response - Our salvation comes from our faith in Christ, not from anything we have done ourselves and it is a gift from God (2: 8-9). When someone gives you a gift, do you say, "That's very nice - how much do I owe you?" No, the proper response is, "Thank you!" Yet how often do we feel obligated to try to work our way to God. Because our salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude, praise and joy. Have you done so today?

4) Power - "..always giving thanks to God the Father for everything ....." (5:20). Thank God, not for your problems, but for the strength and power He is building in you through the difficult experiences of your life. Are you thanking God for His power and knowing you can be sure that His perfect love will see you through whatever situation arises?

Do you need a few more things to be thankful for? Paul provides a great reminder to us ALL of the blessings we have received from God because He is thankful for us! Take time to thank Him today with praise, prayer, power and with a proper response. (Taken from the NIV Life Application Study Bible, pg.1983.)

* We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. - Eph. 1:3
* We are holy and blameless. - Eph. 1: 4
* We are adopted as God's children. - Eph. 1: 5, 6
* Our sins are taken away and we are forgiven. - Eph. 1: 7
* We will be brought under Christ's authority. - Eph. 1: 10,11
* We are identified as belonging to God by the Holy Spirit. - Eph. 1:13
* We have been raised up to sit with Christ in glory. - Eph. 2:6
* We are God's work of art; His masterpiece. - Eph. 2:10
* We have been brought near to God. - Eph. 2:13
* We share in the promise of blessings through Christ. - Eph. 3:6
* We can come with freedom and confidence into God's presence. - Eph. 3:12
* We are members of Christ's body, the church. - Eph. 5: 29, 30

BLOG COMMENT: How does it make you feel when you think about how thankful God is for YOU?

Are You Approachable?

Can you name the Fruit of the Spirit? How many of them do you exemplify in your life? In your day? In the next hour? Let me help you - "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

In the book of Galatians, Paul is trying to get the new believers to see that by exhibiting the characteristics of the Spirit's fruit, people will see God living in them. These fine attributes are only possible with the Spirit's help! Do people see them in you? Do they find you approachable because of them?

Let's look at what an approachable person exhibits: (from The Word for You Today Devotional)

1) Personal warmth - they truly like people. In an old Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown says, "I love mankind, it's just people I can't stand!" Hello! It's not enough to love people in theory, you have to generate personal warmth toward those you meet each day.

2) Their moods are consistent. Have you ever worked or lived with someone whose moods are constantly up and down? You never know how they'll be and how they'll respond. In contrast, approachable people are even-keeled and predictable. They're basically the same way every time you see them. Their emotions are peaceful and show self-control.

3) Sensitivity toward people's feelings. Although approachable people are emotionally steady, that doesn't mean they expect others to be that way. They recognize that good people have bad days; consequently they tune their moods to the feelings of others and quickly adjust how they relate to them with kindness and gentleness.

4) Understanding of human weakness and exposure to their own. Novelist Ed Howes said, "Express a mean opinion of yourself occasionally, it will show your friends that you know how to tell the truth!" Approachable people are honest about their abilities and shortcomings. They embrace the proverb which says, "Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused." And because they can admit their own faults, they don't have a problem allowing other people to have faults as well and they do it with patience.

5) The ability to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Author David Augsburger wrote, "Since nothing we attempt is ever without error and nothing we achieve, without some measure of the finitude and fallibility we call humaness, we are saved by forgiveness." Approachable people are able to forgive and be forgiven. Their faithfulness in the power of forgiveness shows itself in their goodness and joy!

How will people see you today? As an approachable person exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Or a person altogether void of the Spirit's fruit?

As Paul reminded the people of Galatia, as well as us today, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." (Gal. 5:24-26)

BLOG COMMENT: Are there people in your life who you consider "approachable"? Share with us what characteristics they show and how that has helped you grow your own "fruit."

Called to Comfort

Where do you turn to find comfort amidst your trouble and trials? Do you consider all pain and hurt a waste? Do you often find yourself wondering what good could possibly come out of your pain? When it comes to talking about suffering, there's no one better qualified than the apostle Paul.

In case you're not familiar with his "qualifications", 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 tells us that he had "worked more harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely and been exposed to death again and again." He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked three times and spent a night and day out in the open sea. And all for what?

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 gives us insight into the reason we suffer and what good it can do:

1) We receive comfort - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles...(v.3-4a) Many people think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him.

God does not shelter people from trials and suffering, not even gifted apostles who are doing His will. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us!

2) We return comfort - ... so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (v.4b). God's comfort is not given; it is loaned, and we are responsible to pass it along to others. The pain you experience now will help you encourage others in their trials.

God never wastes a hurt! He allows you to experience certain things so that you are equipped to understand and explain the comfort He gives you during the darkest days. If you fail to share God's comfort with others, your experience in the furnace will be wasted; and it is a tragic thing to waste your sufferings!

3) We gain character - If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same
sufferings we suffer. (v.6). Not only does suffering draw us closer to God, through His comfort, it also helps us grow in our faith.

God uses suffering to improve His people and shape them into better Christians. In fact, suffering should be thought of as the necessary pain that accompanies spiritual growth and character development! We may not see it at the time we are going through it, but our trials and consequent suffering can have a positive outcome.

Where are you today? Are you in the middle of a storm and desperately looking for comfort from your pain? Reach out and receive God's comfort. He may not remove the problem the way you think is best. Sometimes God calms the storm; sometimes He lets the storm to rage and calms His child!

Have you recently received God's comfort? Then it's time to return it. There is no shortage of hurting people who need a touch from heaven - and you just may be the one God uses to help. Remember, don't waste an experience and don't miss an opportunity to share the source of your comfort with others!

BLOG COMMENT: Can you share how, through a time of suffering and the comfort you received from God and others, turned out to be a great character building experience for you?

Know that your comments here are a great encouragement to other women!

God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters!
- John Henry Jowett