To my daughter. I want you to believe deep in your heart that you can achieve anything you put your mind to; that you will never lose. You either win or you learn. Just go forth and aim for the skies. I can’t promise you to be there for the rest of your life, but I can promise you to love you for the rest of mine.
This is an encouraging message from a father to a daughter that could be even more encouraging were it inclusive of a reality that we tend to overlook in life—we forget to involve the Lord in our life. There is encouragement and inspiration in the words of this father, but they lack the power to change the realities of life a daughter will face. Only the promise of the Lord and the Power of His word at work in our lives can do what this encouragement ultimately cannot.
In Philippians 4:10-13 scripture says what this father says but in a different and more powerful way. Verse 10 says, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.” Paul is thanking the people of Philippi for their help in his hour of need by rejoicing in Christ and acknowledging their work and service towards him. If you want to achieve all that you set your heart to achieve, you must do that with a heart that is set to serve through the power of Christ. When you can rejoice in Christ you can find it easier to be thankful for the efforts of others towards you.
Continuing with verses 11-12, Paul says, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content: I know how to live humbly, and I know how to live in prosperity. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Paul is saying life may be tough at times and it may not always be easy, but I will be ok with what life brings because I live through the power of Christ. If you want to live at peace with life, you will need to learn to make your low times the high times for you, and you will need to learn to make your high times the times of humble gratitude. You will need to learn to be full of what you have and at the same time to want more of what Christ can provide. If you want to win and never lose at life, and if you want to learn through all things in life, you must live, work, and play at life in the Power of Christ.
Finally, in verse 13 Paul says essentially what this father says but with words of Power. He says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul is saying I may not achieve all that I put my mind and heart to achieve, but that is ok. There is one thing that I can do, and it is this. I can pursue all that my heart desires for me though the Power of Christ Who promises to strengthen me when I do so. So, I may not become the engineer I put my heart to become, but I can pursue my dream of becoming an engineer through the Power of Christ. “I can do all things” doesn’t mean I can be all that I ever want to be, or that I can do all that I ever want to do. It means if I want to do anything at all, I choose to put my efforts to do anything through the life of Christ.
If you choose to put all your efforts to do what you want through the Power of Christ, He promises He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is the only one Who can deliver on the promise of being with you for the rest of your life and loving you for the rest of your life. And His life too. If you want this for your life, then encourage yourself to stop doing things on your own strength. Whatever you want to do in life, aim to do that through Christ Who is the Power of success for all that you will ever need and want. With Christ, you don’t have to aim high, you just have to aim for Him. If your heart is set to find Him, He will find your aim and move into your life. You become a winner in Him. Live a Delivered Life. Love you.
Live Delivered 