Paul was in deep suffering sitting in jail and barely able to accomplish anything when this verse was birthed by the power of God. He had the option of walking free, perhaps he could even do more for himself as he was already a popular face in the whole land and beyond. He could use the goodwill of those who hated the gospel conveniently to expand his tent-making business as far-wide as possible and maybe to secretly fund some missionary work worldwide if he wanted. But consequentially, he must deny everything he once claimed was truth, including the death and resurrection of his Lord, and this to Him was absolutely inconceivable. He would rather remain a captive.
This verse then was short of any visible quality of strength. He was severed from his family, friends, money and to cap it all, he was in chains and constantly monitored by the government. The enemies of the gospel wanted him dead as they had attempted to kill him on a few occasions but failed. The government wanted him kept in prison, even though there was nothing to convict him of, but because they needed to be able to manage the uproar that may happen if he was on the street. The church and his family wanted him back, and so on. It was an unpleasant mixed-experience.
So then, knowing the complexity of his plight, that he couldn’t be released even if it was possible, he knew he needed to rest on God’s complete strength. The strength he meant here was one to be drawn from the inside of him and not from anything outside because there was nothing to hold on to. This was not about “get Jesus to do stuffs for me” thing, if anything, It was more of what he could do for Jesus with the limited opportunity and time he had left.
It was not about taking up a challenge one hasn't quite prepared for and claiming that somehow one must be successful because “I am a born again” or some entitlements to stuffs one didn't work for because “I have prayed and fasted”. These mindset can not be imposed on this verse, otherwise, there would be a lot of disappointments.
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME…
This strength that Paul was referring to had no visible quality of what could be considered as strength. This was him accepting his physical limitations and encouraging himself that it was okay to experience them as long as it was part of God’s plan. He understood the fact that he may never be able to walk free again and he was willing to endure and submit to God’s will.
This is the model of a genuine Holy Spirit empowered perseverance from a deep relationship with God. It reflects self denial and absolute trust. It is the strength you put on when your physical strength is drained, when you can not see any thread of hope to hold on to. One that carries you through the shadow of death, where all you can see is just tombstones with its creepy silence and dark shadows, but you keep assuring and reassuring yourself, the day will break soon, I can surely endure another one minute and another and another…
It is a verse for self-control, self-mastery, self-restraint as opposed to the feeding of self-gratification, greed and superfluity. It should remind us of what it takes to follow Christ and put us on check when we fall short. It should remind us that God still saves, protects and restores and it’s okay even if the blessing of our prayer or fasting is for other people; He is with us regardless. It should bring our attention to the condition we are in and help us to joyfully make the best use of it, whilst God by His divine providence prunes our faith to create more opportunity for growth and services.
Affecting the world around us will take more than the claims of Christianity or the entitlements of son-ship in Christ. It will require us to trust in God’s providence over our lives so that we are able to patiently allow Him to navigate us through life.
Even though the prison life was not necessarily a path anyone would wish for at any point in life, but in Paul’s testimony, it was worth it, because it was the tool God used to bring the household of Ceaser into salvation Philippians 4:22. Besides, his example remains ingrained in our hearts; an inspiration and a comfort to many of us today.
What is the worth of the gospel to you? What are you willing to give up for Christ? What will happen if those heartfelt prayers and fasting are not answered as expected?...
Reflect on these things.
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