An Epic Word

I was walking around our local Christian Bookstore the other day looking for a Bible small enough to carry in my purse so that I could have one with me all the time. I couldn't decide which one I wanted. I kept picking them up and putting them back.

There was one in particular that I kept returning to. It was a great size and the cover was pink and brown, which I thought was cute. It had Phillipians 4:13 engraved across the cover.

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."

Now, this is a great verse. It has always been an encouraging one for sure. But, I found myself asking God what is it about this Bible, about this verse, that You want me to see.

The response I felt the Lord was giving me was epic really. I don't use the word epic often, but it will totally revolutionize your thinking if you let it!

For me, in the current season of life I am in, I didn't view that verse as a life verse, or a game changer for me. Not one worth having permanently on the front of my Bible. I have always thought of that verse in terms of actions or accomplishments, until God answered my question.

This was what He said:
"Everything, means EVERYTHING!!"

Now, that might not seem like a game changing statement, but hang in here with me for a minute.

Everything doesn't just include what we are supposed to be doing. It also includes all of the things we are supposed to not do. Things that, I'm just gonna be real, are hard for us females to not do.

Maybe you are in a season of waiting. Waiting is not easy... but you can "wait patiently" through Christ who gives you strength.

Maybe you feel very strongly about something but the Lord is asking you to hold your tongue and not speak about it right now. You can "keep quiet" through Christ who gives you strength.

Maybe there are situations going on in your life that you just want to grab by the horns and change. You want to do something about it, but there really isn't anything you can do.  It is completely out of your control. You can "be still" through Christ who gives you strength.

There are a multitude of times in our lives where God doesn't ask us to do anything, He asks us to do nothing. He asks us for the absence of things: the absence of speaking, the absence of doing, the absence of trying to fix it ourselves. He asks us to just be still and wait on Him. Those can be some of the hardest moments for us as women. Not because we don't trust God, but because we as women, are just wired to worry about and fix everyone elses problems. We mother everyone and want to make everyones problems go away. There are times when no amount of mothering can fix the problems we face... only God can.

In those times, know that you CAN step back and let God work without you trying to help Him out. And, He can give you the strength you need to wait patiently and quietly while He works.