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Philippians 4: 12-20
Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord.
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John Stephen Akhwari was chosen to represent Tanzania in the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Though his chances of winning the Olympic marathon were slim, they were shattered after he was nearly trampled to death by other runners jockeying for position.
Medics came to his aid, but John pushed them aside. Getting up on his own with a bruised shoulder and dislocated knee, he continued running the race.
Almost an hour after a winner was crowned – and nearly every spectator left the stadium – John was spotted stumbling across the finish line.
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A reporter later asked him, “John, why didn’t you quit?”
He responded, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”
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Like an Olympic athlete, Saint Paul is running the race of life – and he’s been knocked down hard; he’s writing from prison.
But, as he says in our second reading, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
We’ve seen these words – probably some of the most famous words ever written in the New Testament – printed on things like coffee mugs and posters at Hobby Lobby.
Often, we interpret them in terms of success: “I can ace this exam! I can hit a grand slam! … I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
But for Saint Paul, “all things” meant enduring lonely nights in prison; being stoned by angry mobs; surviving shipwrecks; finding himself abandoned and left for dead… more than once.
“All things” meant preaching the Gospel fearlessly throughout the Mediterranean; establishing some of the first Christian communities; baptizing entire crowds; and co-authoring half of the New Testament.
“All things” didn’t mean that God would empty Paul’s life of suffering. Rather, there was nothing that life could throw at Paul that he couldn’t endure.
As he says elsewhere, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? … No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.”
What was Paul’s secret? Where did he find the strength – not only to endure all of his life’s challenges – but also to endure everything with joy and peace?
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He prayed.
As he says to the Philippians:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! … Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds.”
I found one word from Paul’s advice particularly striking this week. When we pray, we should always pray with thanksgiving.
It’s easy to unload our burdens, to ask God for help, even to complain when life is difficult. It’s much harder to begin and end our prayer with thanksgiving – that is to say, “Lord, even when life is difficult, I thank you. You have loved me and given yourself for me.”
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Like Saint Paul, many of us know what it’s like to be knocked down.
Maybe we’ve been hit by anxiety, depression, or an addiction. Perhaps we’ve struggled with loss, our health, or have known the heartache of divorce.
Saint Paul tells us that we can still be at peace – not only after the storm is calmed, but even in the midst of it. This is a remarkable insight, that even in the midst of suffering, peace is possible, because Jesus is with us. “We can do all things through him who strengthens us.”
Paul also reminds us why we are running: to inherit eternal life.
As he says at the end of his own life-long race, “I have run the race to the finish. I have competed well. I have kept the faith. All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness. And not only me, but all who have longed for his appearing.”
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What has my own journey been like? When I’ve been knocked down, have I turned to the Lord in prayer? Did I find that peace and joy Paul speaks of?
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Whether we’re climbing a mountain, pushing through a valley, or are somewhere in between, we can do “all things” through Christ who strengthens us so long as we turn to him in prayer.
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Images: (1) A Christian Pilgrimage, WordPress.com (2) FBC Media Library, Faith Bible Church (3) Mission Fit