Yes You Can Do ALL Things!

     You may know Philippians 4:13 by the reference call of book, chapter and verse, but if not there is a very strong possibility that you have heard the verse, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me", used as a motivational cry for a multitude of athletic teams, individuals in dire straits, and even for those of us that see a challenge in life and want nothing more than to climb over the mountain in front of us regardless of how steep or rugged it might appear to be. For me, I have witnessed a wide variety of athletic venues and I seen this verse of scripture from the Bible posted on banners, T-shirts, and other accoutrements of each particular sport. It is almost like the scripture has become a vote of confidence that "If I have God on my side I am going to win." Although this scripture which proclaims "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me", is meant to be an encouragement in the face of adversity, I'm not 100% sure Paul was saying we will win every game regardless of the the other team's superior skill set. Instead I believe Paul actually wanted to convey the message that regardless of our circumstances I will overcome and I will prevail. It comes down to perception and here is where it becomes more of a challenge to embrace the message that Paul conveys in Philippians.
     Victory is our goal in athletics as it is in life as well. We train our athletes to strive for excellence and we set the bar high so that they are always striving for the gold in their endeavors. As a coach I do exactly that. My goal is to prepare those I coach to where they have the best opportunity to be successful in the sporting event they are participating. I want them to believe that they can do all things through Christ which gives them the strength to do so. But what happens when athletes do all they can, they work so hard, and put everything they have into their efforts, but yet in the end they fall short on the scoreboard and the other team prevails? Does not the message of Philippians 4:13 lose it's clout? Did the message of "I can do all things" fall short in it's promise? How about in life outside of the arena of sports? What if life has thrown you a curve ball in an area of your life such as in health, relationships, finances, or family matters and things are in turmoil spiraling out of control, and we commit to the belief that you will overcome and defeat any of the aforementioned circumstances, yet in the end the outcome finds you on the opposite side of what you saw as the "winning" outcome? Did the mantra of Paul in his letter to the church of Philippi fall short for you?
      My answer to the questions above is an answer grounded in trust and faith. For some it is a challenge to believe that everything that happens in life happens for a reason. For some anything less than a win in a sporting event is considered a complete loss. Outside of the sports arena many people deem it a failure if we do not completely recovery in the way we envisioned the outcome happening. The whole concept of "I can do ALL things" falls short in their estimation, yet my faith tells me that the outcome I want is not always the outcome that I am supposed to experience. To truly embrace the intent of Paul's message to the us we must understand that by committing to a belief that you can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me, you have to commit to an understanding that ALL things includes dealing with the adversity of loss or enduring a difficulty in life that we would much rather be worked out in a manner that we would deem a victory for us is necessary and all a part of the plan for our lives. 
     To thrive in the face of adversity, to be placed in an uncomfortable situation in life and still hold firm to the belief that whatever the outcome we are gaining strength, wisdom, and the fortitude to move forward is when we are benefiting from the motivation of Philippians 4:13. We can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens us does not mean we will gain the outcome we always want, but it does mean that regardless of what comes our way in life, we can overcome, we can proceed, and we will succeed. I believe Paul wanted us to come to a place where we understand that what we go through in life is not necessarily all about us. What we go through in life is about what we can take away from the situation that we can use to impact the lives of those we come in contact with along life's journey.
      Yes you can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens you! You must reach a place where you understand and believe that the plan for your life will include losses and tragic events that we might not want to experience. Those experiences teach us to hold firm to faith and trust that the plan for our life is so much bigger than what we can see. "I know the plans I have for you" says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11. I encourage you to develop an "I can do ALL things" mentality with the confidence that facing a loss, overcoming adversity in life, and confidently moving forward are all part of trusting and having the faith to use the same strength that Paul applied in this stance that he could do ALL things through Christ which gave him the strength to succeed and impact mankind with his display of courage and perseverance to overcome!
Have a great week and do something amazing for someone else!