Can I Do All Things? By Tim Ferrara
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:6-7 NIV) Do you remember discussions in grade school about what you wanted to be when you grew up? I never knew how to respond, usually coming up with something that sounded cool just to satisfy the teacher asking. Maybe I did not have high aspirations. From age 5, I was never one that knew exactly what I wanted to do or pursue it until I achieved it. One famous motivational statement I remember being used a lot when I was a child was “you can be anything you want to be.” This sounded awesome at the time! You mean I can be an astronaut, NBA player, or even the president? According to my 3rdgrade teacher, yes… When I got older, I quickly realized that this statement was a load of garbage. There are huge factors at play whether someone has the opportunities or skill to achieve whatever they want, along with the scarcity of some jobs that only have a few openings. If EVERY kid wanted to be the President of the United States, simple math assures you that this is impossible.
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I believe this statement was used with good intentions. You don’t want to tell kids that they can’t be what they want to be, but I think it could have been said in a less misleading way. It’s important to encourage kids to pursue their dreams, to take the right steps to get there, and to share success stories of people who overcame tremendous odds to achieve their goals. One of the many verses in the Bible I feel is frequently misleading and often misused by Christians is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” (KJV). It’s easy to read this verse and think, “wait a minute, I have accepted Jesus in my heart, which means I can do ANYTHING, indeed ALL things! This is awesome! I’m going to ____.” Fill in the blank with–apply to that school, pursue that job, learn that sport, pursue a relationship, play the lottery, ignore the doctor’s advice, or any other extreme response without praying. When reading the Bible, context is extremely important! Let’s look at what Paul was saying in Philippians 4 leading up to this verse: “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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.” Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
