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Through Him Who Strengthens Me.

````        I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Ephesians 4:12-13 NIV)

 

The last sentence is one of those that we like to take out of context. Most of the English translations I saw put it this way: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me/gives me strength.” All things. We can be faster than a speeding train, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, stop a bullet, walk on water, know the future… And, yes, God could make us able to do those things if those things suited His purposes, but chances are, they won’t suit His purposes.

Restoring the verse to its place after verse twelve, the “all” we can do is be content in any situation. If you don’t want to limit all to being content in every situation, that’s fine – but in this passage, this is at least where we must begin.

I’ve heard that when we’re babies, we don’t really understand that things are permanent or that they aren’t just part of us. As we grow up, we develop independence, but it’s a gradual thing. Even as adults, we may tend to view our circumstances as somehow being connected to us. Either our circumstances are a reward for our good behavior or a punishment for bad, which makes them a consequence of us, or they are things done to us to help or hinder us. The problem is that they can be those things, but they are not necessarily any of them except one.

In Romans 8:28, we’re told that God causes all things to work together for good. It’s not that all things are good, but through bad and hard, good is often accomplished. We may not recognize the good, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. And today’s passage tells us we do all this. We rely on the Holy Spirit to strengthen us.

How does the Holy Spirit strengthen us? My thoughts on this subject go to Samson, David, and Elijah. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they carried city gates, killed lions with their bare hands, and ran ahead of a chariot and horses for miles. Certainly, God can enable us to do things outside of what we would consider normally possible. Such miraculous strength and endurance aren’t the only way the Spirit can strengthen a person. Another way is to help the person put us in situations that cause us to grow stronger spiritually, physically, emotionally, morally, socially, relationally, volitionally, or in whatever other way.

As I consider the last sentence, I feel I must point out that God isn’t likely to waste a strengthening session on just one area of our lives. We may notice one and not notice another, but they’re all connected.

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