Strength in Every Season
Philippians 4:13 is a popular Bible verse that you may have seen posted on signs, social media, stickers, or cars. Maybe you’ve heard someone recite this verse before a sporting event or while trying to accomplish a difficult task.
Unfortunately, this verse is often misunderstood. This verse is not saying that we can accomplish whatever we want. Paul isn’t talking about winning a sports game or having the courage to do something daring.
Instead, Paul is actually talking about his time in prison. He is referencing the power of God that was with him during this difficult time of ministry.
In Philippians 4:12 he talks about the power he has to live content in every situation in life. He learned how to live with abundance and with nothing. He learned to live with very little food and resources, and also with a lot of food and resources.
Paul found that regardless of his circumstances, God continued to supply him with the power to do the work of God. He never lacked the strength and resources to tell others about the good news of Jesus—even while he was stuck in a prison.
Paul could live in every season of life and accomplish all that God asked of him through the strength that God gave him.
So, instead of God giving us strength to do anything we want, He gives us the strength we need to endure various circumstances and accomplish the mission that He has given us. This means that you will never lack any resource to live a growing and godly life, or to share the good news of Jesus with others.
If you’re in a season of abundance or a season of lack, remember that God is the one who gives you the strength to endure every season. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, ask God to supply you with the strength that only He can give.
A Unifying Mission
Almost every successful company or group in history has shared something in common: they all had a unifying mission.
Missions are critical in not only aligning objectives, but also unifying a large group of people toward one purpose.
As Christians, we all share the same mission. We are unified in following Christ. We're saved by His blood (Romans 5:9) and we're all called to make disciples in His name (Matthew 28:19).
And yet, even among Christians, there is so much division and disunity.
Part of the division comes from our lack of clarity and commitment to the mission that is defined in Scripture. And to make it worse, we are sinful people, and sin naturally causes division in our lives and relationships.
But, the Psalmist in Psalm 133:1 reflects on how good it is when the people of God live together in unity. There is something powerful that happens among Christians when we are unified.
Unity is not putting away our differences, because there would be no need to be ...