Intentionality in Abiding

Intentionality in Abiding

“I am able to do all things through the one who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 NET

This verse, written by Paul to the ancient church in Philippi, is among the most quoted in the Bible. Found on stickers, mugs, t-shirts, and all manner of Christian merch, this verse is everywhere. In these contexts, this verse seems to be the Christian equivalent of discovering superpowers that allow the bearer to do ‘all things’ through the inhabiting power of Christ. Let’s read the verses immediately preceding this and see if this understanding holds up:

From his cell in a Roman prison, Paul writes…

… I have learned to be content in any circumstance.
I have experienced times of need and times of abundance.
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of contentment,
whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.
I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NET‬‬

Knowing that he pens these words from a dank prison cell brings his words into more focus. His words of “I can do all things…” are not a self-help mantra meant to motivate toward hitting a 15,000-step walking goal or to push toward asking for that end-of-the-year promotion at work. These are the words of a man who has experienced the glorious heights and deepest lows of life and, through it all, found strength and purpose in Christ.

To abide in Christ is to make an intentional choice to remain in, partake in, and continue alongside the plans and purposes of Jesus. Paul is demonstrating something that is, at its very core, the opposite of what human culture teaches us to do: to humbly set aside self-interest. In this verse, Paul declares that he has the power and fortitude to prevail over whatever circumstance life throws at him… but with one qualifying statement. The secret of Paul’s independence was his dependence upon Another. His self-sufficiency in reality came from being in vital union with One who is all-sufficient. [1] I wonder if the support of an all-sufficient One is really what our world yearns for. Paul seemed to find greater peace and contentment in a prison cell than many women and men experience in their beautifully furnished lives. It makes me wonder who is really sitting in a prison cell.

Whether experiencing times of abundance of resources or a complete lack thereof, he learned to humble his self-interests in preference to abiding in Christ. As he experienced hunger, imprisonment, persecution, and struggle, Paul declared that he had learned to be content in ANY circumstance. But what about the times of plenty and abundance? Paul’s words brought me to a place where I was compelled to consider my own life. In times of abundance, I tend to relax and rely on myself. In such times, I tend to abide in myself much more than in Christ. So, Paul not only learned to abide in Christ in struggle, but also in prosperity and abundance. He sought Christ when his belly was full with the same passion as when it was empty. What would it look like to truly abide in Christ, even when there is no physical, material, or emotional need? In all of life’s journey to be able to join Paul in saying, “I am able to do all things through the one who gives me strength.”

When a single individual abides with Christ, meaningful change will happen. But when whole communities and cultures abide in Christ, a movement is formed. The hungry are fed. The broken are mended. The addicted are set free. Those who have much give much. Those who are without hope find their hope in the One who is hope.

This is not just an aspiration for the religious, but for any person who has always longed for more than what they have already experienced. To endeavor to join Paul is saying,

… I have learned to be content in any circumstance.
I have experienced times of need and times of abundance.
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of contentment,
whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.
I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NET‬‬

To say, “I am able to do all things through the one who gives me strength,” is a challenge to live a life of contentment, no matter what life throws at you. To look at the times of abundance and need with the same satisfaction and joy.

[1]: Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 43 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983), 201.