Philippians Ring 413 – size 7

It is a stylish reminder

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens me- (philippians 4:13) Philippians 4:13 is one of the most popular verses in any of the 66 books of the Christian Bible. This one verse having been printed on millions of different product items in the United States. But it also one of the misunderstood, misused, and misinterpreted. Philippians 4:13 functions as a kind of mystical incantation for many Christians. They recite the passage when they need to draw power from another place to defeat an enemy or conquer a difficult task. For us, the "all things" that Christ empowers us to accomplish includes fulfilling our dreams, climbing to new heights, and embracing our destinies. Paul the author of this scripture was not written to fulfill our wants in needs but to learned in whatever state we are in, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Paul isn't telling Christians that they should dream bigger dreams; he is reminding them that they can endure the crushing feeling of defeat if those dreams aren't realized. He's not encouraging Christians to go out and conquer the world; he's reminding them that they can press on when the world conquers them.