Gospel devotions: Couch Potato Christians - Philippians 4:13

Today’s podcast of this devotional can be heard at the following link: http://traffic.libsyn.com/stushie/Couch_Potato_Christians.mp3


Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

I’ve seen this verse on many car bumper stickers and heard it quoted by lots of Christians. It is used to encourage people to accomplish their dreams or overcome hurdles in their lives. It’s a good verse for doing that, but is this what Saint Paul had in mind when he wrote it in the first place?

It seems to me that this is about coping with good or bad circumstances and being content with our lot. When Paul used it, he stated that he had been through good times and bad times. No matter what he experienced or endured, he was content. He saw his time on earth as a gift of God’s grace and used his days to promote Christ’s gospel. Everything else was peripheral to his faith; anything else was trivial to his beliefs.

I’ve heard some people disparage Paul’s writings and brand him as a zealous fanatic who was narrow minded, intolerant, and blinkered. When I hear this, I often wonder what hardships the Christian complainer has undergone, or if it’s just couch-potato theology. Whatever the case, I am reminded that Paul’s faith was active and real, confrontational and challenging. When he wrote about “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength,” he wasn’t talking about wealth, success or accomplishments; what he was actually stating was: “everything I do for Christ’s kingdom, I do it in the strength of the Lord.”

That puts a whole new spin on what that verse is about. That challenges us to think of our lives in terms of God’s mission through Christ, and not on our own accomplishments, successes, and dreams.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep us from getting caught up in our own vanity and our own prosperity. Remind us of Paul’s successes through his sacrifices and experiences. Help us to remodel and refocus our lives on Your ministry and mission for the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.