Think about when you were a kid - for some, that may be a lot farther back than others, haha - and think about all the things you didn’t know. We weren’t born with all the skills and knowledge we would need to live our lives. We had to learn as we grew through experience and training. We had to be taught so many things.
Now think about the person or people who raised you. Both of my parents played a huge role in shaping me into the person I am today. However, for the purpose of this writing, I’m thinking of my dad. My dad is the best. Yep, I grew up a daddy’s girl. You may not be thinking of your father, though. Life may have dealt you a different hand, but hopefully, there was someone who came to mind.
To me, like a lot of little girls, my dad knew everything. And, he was the strongest man alive. He was like Superman. To me, he could do anything. Growing up, my dad would talk to me and teach me things about life - like how to hold a fishing pole or ride a bike. During these “lessons,” just because I knew I had a dad didn’t mean I was able to immediately do these things. It wasn’t just because I had a dad or I knew who my dad was that I was able to learn and grow. It was because I listened to him. I trusted him. And I quickly realized being near him was always better. I wasn’t going to learn to ride my bike if he stayed inside the house. Yes, he could give me a list of steps to ride a bike, but I needed him close. I needed the safety of his presence to even get on my bike. I trusted my dad to keep me from falling, and if I did fall, I knew my dad would pick me up and help me try again.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13. Remember it? It says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That verse is very comforting during our hardest struggles. But, what if we’ve turned it into a feel-good verse? A verse that makes us feel powerful or like no matter what we do or where we go, it’s fine. “The Bible says I can do all things.” Of course, I’m not saying that verse shouldn’t make us feel powerful, but I AM saying there’s more to it. We like to quote the verse with emphasis on the “I can do all things” part. But, just like I couldn’t learn to ride a bike if my dad wasn’t near me and I wasn’t listening to his voice for directions, I can’t do “all things” - or anything really- by simply saying I know who Jesus is. I need Him near me. I have to listen for His voice for direction in life. The emphasis needs to be on the “through Christ” part of that verse. Without His presence in our lives, we become powerless. Without His closeness to us, we allow things like pride, disappointment, fear, etc. to enter in.
When we say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me but we have allowed ourselves to push Him to the sidelines or to the back corners of our lives and heart, I wonder if our belief that we can do all things is coming from a heart that’s forgotten that it’s Him that makes all things possible. We get prideful and go at things on our own based on the beginning of that verse. Then, when things don’t turn out how we thought they should, we get angry and sometimes question God. But the whole time, we had forgotten the “through Christ” part and the importance of drawing near to Him.
Let Philippians 4:13 be a true source of comfort for you today - but remember it’s all about your close proximity to Christ that makes all things possible. We can’t do life on our own. We are weak, but He is strong. We are nothing, but He is everything.
Stay close to Jesus. I promise you, being near Him is always better!
