Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
A famous verse with preachers about faith. I was meditating on this verse the other night and came across a personal revelation of this verse of scripture.
I like how the NIV version puts the words of Apostle Paul:
Philippians 4:13
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.12 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.13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
The problem with that the faith message and the "health and wealth" gospel, that it is not often handled in a balanced way. Sure I believe that God wants us to prosper and be in good health. We often forget that we live in seasons
Genesis 8:22 says
22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
Before seed time and harvest, there must be Fall and Winter.
To expect seed time and harvest perpetually all year round or all your life is setting up yourself for your faith to be destroyed. Many an uninformed person has given up on his faith when things turned sour.
1 Timothy 6:6 says
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Paul learnt the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether in need or in plenty.
I'm writing this to set people free from guilt for "not having enough faith".
You lost your job, your health, have prayers unanswered... its ok. God does not look at you differently.
Often we accuse people who don't get a miracle or get healed in a prayer line of lacking faith or commited a sin against God.
Someone losing a job, something bad happened etc, has nothing to do with faith.
Faith is the the ability to go though
Often when we go through trails, realize that God is not upset with us
It is a fallacy to associate personal success/achievement/failure with faith or the lack of it!
God allows circumstances to change us, to bring us closer to Him
God is more interested in changing us than our circumstances.
We can go through all things through Christ who strengthens us!
And as the cycle goes, winter will turn into seed time and harvest again if we do not lose heart
Gal 6:9 sums it up by saying
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
