THROUGH ANYTHING

through (prep): to the opposite side of 

anything (pronoun):  anything whatsoever; any such thing 

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Philippians 4:13

I just wanted it to be over. The stress of what lay ahead weighed heavily on me and made me weak. Every time I thought of it, my body felt a rush of dread and panic.

What was scaring me so much? 

I can fill in that blank with a variety of things:

• speaking in front of a large group of people,

• watching my husband be wheeled away to surgery,

• dropping off my sons at college,

• driving over a dangerous mountain pass,

• being observed for a final performance evaluation at work,

• hosting an important event,

• and sometimes…I didn’t even really know.  

Deep down, I think what I really feared was the feeling of being overwhelmed. In each of these situations, I was very aware that my own strength and determination was not going to be enough.

I didn’t have the ability–or the confidence–to do what needed to be done. At least not very well.

I wanted so badly to be able to just close my eyes and fast-forward through to the other side.

This verse in many of our Bible translations features the word strength.

I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. GNT

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. NLT

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. KJV

We all have some degree of physical, mental, and emotional strength that we can usually rely on. But for many of the things we have to face in life, this is not going to be enough. We need a higher power, a deeper reserve, a supernatural boost that can only come from Jesus.

Something special happens when we submit to his power. In those times when we get to the end of ourselves–feeling our weakest–that’s when we get to really depend on him. When we accept the fact that we can’t possibly do it ourselves, we open up to the overwhelming help and the better-than-we-even-thought results that happen when he takes over.

We get to exchange our need for control, approval, perfection, and independence for his grace and peace.

We get to release our fears and shift our focus from us to him.

We get to lean into him and rest in his hands.

We get to watch him bring good.

And with this gift of strength from our gracious, all-powerful God, we can make it through anything.

Invite Him in: Whatever you have (or do not have) right now, bring it to Jesus. Wherever you are right now, picture him there beside you. He will fill you with his energy and confidence and peace and take you through to the other side. Through whatever is scaring you today. Through whatever you are worried about for tomorrow. Through anything.