The Secret to Life

You’ve seen it on coffee mugs, t-shirts, tattoos and bumper stickers. Some athletes even write it on their eye black before a big game. It’s one of the most well known verses in the entire Bible.

“For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

Reading that verse does get you pumped up a little bit, doesn’t it?

Especially if you’re just having one of those days you need a little encouragement.

I know there were times growing up when I would need a little confidence boost and I would whisper that verse to myself.

But what if I told you that verse wasn’t meant to tell you to go out for the soccer team or go big on a project that you’ve been dreaming about? That it wasn’t meant to give you confidence to make good plays in the next game you have coming up. It wasn’t even meant for new business owners to keep on a refrigerator magnet as a reminder that they just have to keep trying harder.

When the author of Philippians, Paul, penned these words, he wasn’t thinking about any of those things.

What if, instead, I told you that when he wrote this down he was actually giving us the secret to life?

I think that’s something that would cause intrigue in almost all of us. I know I’m interested to figure that out. It seems like life is so complicated - especially in culture today. How could he know the secret to living?

Well, let’s break it down.

The book of Philippians is actually a letter that was written to the church in Philippi. Paul wrote them this letter while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Throughout the letter we read about Paul’s gratitude for the Philippians. He mentions several times how he gives God thanks for them. This is most likely because the Philippians supported Paul financially while he was on his missionary journey.

Now remember, Paul is in prison as he’s writing these words and we see in Philippians 1:11, that the reason he’s been put there is because of sharing the Gospel.

I wonder how many of us would be put in prison in those days because of how boldly we proclaimed the Gospel?

But what I really want to draw your attention to is how much Paul talks about joy in this letter. The words “full of joy”, “rejoice” and “share in joy” are written several times throughout the entire letter.

But wait, Leah, you said he was in prison when he was writing this, right?

Yeah, I did.

Then how is he so full of joy? How is Paul, who was in prison, rejoicing when I have a hard time finding joy just when I have a bad day at work?

Paul didn’t have the most up to date tech, he didn’t have the highest paying job, he didn’t have fancy foods or even nice clothes. He didn’t have any of the things that WE would equate to having joy, but he did know the secret to life and that was contentment.

In Philippians 4:12, he says, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

Which leads right into the well- known verse 13: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

You see, Paul was not speaking merely about what he can do in his own strength - what he can accomplish.

He’s saying that whether he has everything he needs or he doesn’t - he has learned to be content by simply depending on God. The God who gives him the strength to get through the highs and lows of life. 

His letter is full of joy because he knows that depending on God through all circumstances is the best place he can be.

He’s content because he knows that God will provide everything he needs when he needs it.

Philippians 4:13 is not an anthem we shout when we want to accomplish a task.

It’s a humble statement that reminds us of the goodness of God, no matter life’s circumstances.

The secret to life isn’t to achieve the most things or accumulate the most stuff.

The secret to life is to live in a way that seeks contentment through simple dependence on Jesus.

We will never be satisfied unless we put all of our trust and hope in him.

Unless we know without a shadow of a doubt that he is all we'll ever need.

The secret of life is joy.

The secret to joy is contentment.

The secret to contentment is dependence on the one who strengthens you.