Sustenance

Sustenance!

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

As we look at today's extract, an awareness of the enormity of the issues facing us dawns on us. We realise that we do not simply have what it takes to survive in this cutthroat world where people can kill each other just because of power, position, privilege or possession. We are in a world where effort, labour and physical exertion seem to be the basis of reward and return. By the world's standards, if you blink, you lose. If you don't hustle, you don't get anything. Unfortunately, this is what we have learnt growing up and we have gone to the extreme by inculcating the same mentality in the coming generations.

Whilst we do not encourage laziness of any sort, it must be settled that what you get from God is not on the basis of your effort or labour. What God gives you has nothing to do with your IQ, your family background, your ethnic leaning or your connections. Paul here had learnt how to depend on God for everything and in everything, he could see God at work. He had experienced times of weakness and pain, moments of sorrow and anguish, seasons of joy and gladness, but in everything, one thing was clear: I am what I am by the grace of God. We are who we are by the grace of God. We don't earn his help, we don't deserve his favour, we don't fight for his recognition, we can't be self-sufficient outside of him. Our sufficiency is in God alone.

Can this be our confession? Whatever you have or become, never lose sight of the truth that God makes us who we are. His breath in us is the distinguishing factor. His grace is the enabler. Never forget that He is the one who matters. Men come and go; seasons change, but God remains the same. His time of favour is here.