“Paul said: ‘I can do all things’”
Philippians 4:13
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus.
Ninety years ago, back in 1930, author Watty Piper published a book called, The Little Engine That Could. It’s a story about the importance of optimism and hard work.
And if you know the book, and I’m sure you do, it tells the story of some boys and girls who lived in a little town on the other side of a mountain who were waiting for a train to bring them toys. But to get to the town, you had to go up, up, up the mountain, then down, down, down the other side--not an easy thing for even a train to do! So the engineer went looking for an engine that would pull that train, with all its toys, over that mountain, to the boys and girls who lived on the other side.
But even though he talked to several engines, not a single one was willing to help. One big shiny engine said he would only pull passenger trains, and a big diesel locomotive said he wouldn’t want to bother at all.
Finally, from a corner, came a voice. It was a little switch engine that said, “I’ll do it! I’ll carry that train over the mountain to the boys and girls on the other side.”
“But you’re much too small,” said the engineer.
“But I’m willing to give it a try.”
So they hooked that little engine up to the train with all those toys. And as it gathered speed to climb that mountain, it began to say to itself, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can,” each time a little faster than before.
Up the mountain it went--”I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
Then straining with every ounce of energy, it cleared the top and started down the other side. And as the children waved and cheered, they could hear that little engine say, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”
The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, seemed to say the very same thing. But instead of saying, “I think I can,” he said, “I know I can.”
Please turn in your Bible to page 1250 as I read the words of our text. Philippians chapter 4, starting at verse 10: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
To better understand what’s going on in the words of Philippians chapter 4, let me give you a little context.
It was some thirty years after Jesus died and rose again, and Paul was in prison in Rome. Glance back for a moment to chapter 1, verse 12. It’s where he wrote: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
And just as soon as the Philippians heard that Paul was in prison, they wanted to do something to help him and encourage him.
But sending a gift wasn’t easy. They couldn’t just drop a care package in the mail. Instead, they had to send a messenger from Philippi, all the way to Rome, by boat and on foot, a distance of some eight hundred miles! The trip could have taken more than a month.
And when Paul received that gift, he decided, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to write a letter, a thank you note, to show his appreciation for all that they had done.
That’s why he wrote in chapter 1: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”
And what a beautiful letter it is, for it’s here that we find words like these. Chapter 1: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Chapter 2: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped...And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Chapter 3: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And chapter 4: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Now here in the closing words of chapter 4, he thanks them for their gift once more. Verse 10: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Or as another translation puts it: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Now before we talk about what it means, let me say what it doesn’t mean. To say that, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” isn’t a free ticket to do whatever you want to do. As much as we might like to think, Philippians 4:13 isn’t about having all our wants fulfilled and our dreams come true. If you want to run a marathon, you better practice, and if you want an “A” in Physics, you still have to study.
As one author put it: “Philippians 4:13 is not a blanket endorsement that God will support anything we set out to do and empower us to do whatever impossible things we can imagine. Instead, it’s an assurance that we can do, not whatever we decide to do, but whatever God calls us to do.”
To put it another way, it’s not about getting a new job, a new house, or a new outfit. It’s about finding satisfaction in the job you already have, in the house you already own, and in the wardrobe that’s already hanging in your closet.
It’s about being content.
Another translation puts it like this: “I know how to make do with a little, and I know how to make do with a lot, for I’ve lived under all kinds of conditions. I’ve been full and I’ve been hungry. I’ve had too little and I’ve had too much. But thanks be to God, Christ gives me the strength to face anything.”
More than fifty years ago, back in 1965, the Rolling Stones released their hit song, I Can’t Get No Satisfaction. Maybe you remember the words: “When I’m driving in my car, and that man comes on the radio, and he’s telling me more and more, about some useless information, supposed to fire my imagination, I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Isn’t that just the way we are, never happy with what we have, always wanting more? After all, we live in a world that applauds more possessions and more extravagant vacations, then invites us to parade it on social media. And while we minimize our problems and maximize our successes, we begin to believe that the more we have, the happier and more satisfied we’ll be.
But that’s not what happens at all. In fact, Time magazine once found that only 33% of Americans claimed to be happy, which means that 7 out of 10 of us are unhappy, (and the other 3 out of 10 are probably lying).
Historian Arthur Schlesinger has even made the observation that our society is marked by “inextinguishable discontent,” a gnawing discontent, endlessly living for the next thing--the next job, the next weekend, the next vacation, the next purchase, the next experience. We’re never happy, never satisfied. And we’re jealous of those who have what we wish we had.
But it wasn’t that way at all for the apostle Paul. For he knew that contentment didn’t lie in what he had, but to Whom he belonged.
As he wrote: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
In the words of a song, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me? No great success to show, no glory on my own; yet in my weakness He is there to let me know...His strength is perfect when our strength is gone; He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on. Raised in His power, the weak become strong. His strength is perfect. His strength is perfect.”
Have any doubts? Watch as a young boy named David holds a sling and a stone, and listen to his words: “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.” See three men stand strong in a fiery furnace. And watch as Daniel falls sound asleep in a lion’s den.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
And that’s the message of this text--no matter what situation you’re in, be content--whether you just got a raise or you just got fired, whether you’re the most popular one in school or the most bullied, whether your doctor gives you a clean bill of health or tells you you have three months to live. No matter what situation you’re in, you can learn to be content, because you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
One more thing. One day, or so the story goes, a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country to show him how poor people can be. And after spending a couple of days on a farm, the father asked his son on the way home, “What’d you think of the trip?”
“It was great, Dad,” answered the boy.
“Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked.
“I sure did,” said the son.
“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, but they have a creek that never ends. We have imported lanterns in our garden, but they have stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, but they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on, but they have fields that go beyond sight. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, but they have friends to protect them.”
Then he said, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”
As Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
We thank You, dear Father, for the much we have and for the little, for our abundance and for our want. Teach us, in all things and at all times, to be content, for Christ’s sake. Amen