Power Through Christ

IWM Devotional: Power Through Christ
Scripture: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”--Philippians 4:13

Word for Today

Have you ever longed to step into something God placed on your heart, only to discover how heavy it feels once you begin? Not a shallow wish, not a passing idea, but a calling. A desire. A stretching that feels bigger than your capacity. And somewhere between the excitement and the effort, you find yourself whispering, Lord, this is harder than I thought.

I have felt that too. And if we are honest, most of us have, if not every single one of us at some point. That quiet realization that obedience costs more than we imagined. That growth stretches further than we prepared for. That faith sometimes asks us to walk longer laps than we expected.

We love the language of victory. We quote promises. We declare breakthrough. But there is a quiet, holy truth many of us are still learning, the Christian life is not about limitless achievement, it is about faithful endurance.

The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

This verse has been printed on journals and jerseys, quoted before big moments and bold dreams. But when you read it in context, Paul is not standing on a mountaintop of success. He is speaking from a life acquainted with hunger, prison, abundance, lack, honor, rejection. He is saying, in essence, Whether I have much or little, whether I am celebrated or confined, I have learned the secret of contentment, Christ strengthens me to endure it all. 

This is not a promise that we will accomplish anything we desire. It is a promise that in every season, especially the hard ones, Christ will supply the strength we do not naturally possess. I think of a young girl who desperately wanted to join her school’s girls’ team. She had been looking forward to it for so long. But before she could join, her teacher gave her a test, walk around the school field four times.

Four times. Ordinarily, that might have been manageable. But she was recovering from an accident and walking with a crutch. Each step required effort. Each round felt longer than the last.

A friend, watching her struggle, called her parents and suggested they stop her. It seemed too much, too demanding, and too unfair. But her parents chose something different. They decided to watch. To encourage. To cheer her on. And as she walked slowly, painfully, their voices rose above her fatigue. They called her name. They clapped. They urged her forward.

Halfway through, she wanted to quit. The sky darkened. Rain began to fall. At one point, her crutch even broke. Can you imagine? Injured. Exhausted. Soaked. Equipment failing. Yet she kept going.

Why? Because she remembered how much she wanted to be on that team. And because she could hear the voices cheering her forward.

Sister, this is what relying on Christ looks like. Sometimes obedience feels like limping around a field while it rains. Sometimes the very support you thought would hold you up feels fragile. Sometimes the journey toward what God has promised requires perseverance that stretches every ounce of your resolve.

But we have something greater than cheering parents on the sidelines. We have Christ.

When Paul declares, “I can do all things through Christ,” he is not speaking of self-confidence. He is speaking of Christ-confidence.Because we often fail to build ourselves up, we should embrace confidence, not by dwelling on our weaknesses, but by grounding our assurance in Christ. Our confidence comes from doing what we can through Him, trusting that He has promised success in all that we set our hearts to, as long as we rely on Him. The Greek implies an ongoing strengthening, Christ continually infusing power into the believer. 

That means when your strength runs thin, His does not. When your emotions waver, His faithfulness does not. When you feel like stopping mid-field, He is not silent. He is nearer than breath. Stronger than your fatigue. Steadier than your circumstances.

And yes, there will be rain. There will be moments when what you’re leaning on seems to break. There will be days when quitting feels reasonable. But Christ is the steady voice calling your name. His strength replaces your weakness. His grace sustains what your willpower cannot. Weakness becomes manageable when Christ is your source. What would crush you alone becomes endurable with Him within you.

Relying on God is not complaint. It is deeply active. It is choosing, step after trembling step, to say, Lord, I do not have this, but You do. Strengthen me for this round. And then the next. And guess what, He does.

Not always by removing the field. Not always by stopping the rain. But by empowering you to finish the lap. So if today feels like your fourth round in the rain, if you are limping toward something God has called you to, hear this assurance afresh, You can endure this season, you can remain faithful in lack or abundance, you can keep walking. Not because you are unbreakable. But because Christ is your strength.

And that is more than enough to carry you across the field.

Prayer


Jesus, be my strength today. Help me rely on You in every challenge I face. Amen. 

As a resource, I recommend The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer, it’s an excellent guide for building faith-based confidence.