Examining misquoted, misused, and misapplied Bible verses.

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

The little engine that could did. It believed in itself. It made it up the hill.

Positive thinking is a powerful thing. We are told that we can achieve much more than we consider possible if we just think positively.

Norman Vincent Peale popularized the concept of positive thinking in the early 1950s with his best-selling book, The Power of Positive Thinking. Today, positive thinking has become the mantra of many.

Schools teach it to our children. Coaches preach it to their athletes. The Disney Channel weaves it into every cartoon and movie.

It has even made its way into the church.

Smiling preachers on TV will tell you, “Repeat after me: ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13). You’ve got the all-powerful God behind you. If you just have enough faith, you can do anything you put your mind to. If you can dream it, you can do it.”

The only problem is that’s not what Paul was saying in Philippians 4:13.

The context

The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Christians in Philippi as he was chained to a Roman soldier, under house arrest, and awaiting his trial before the Roman emperor. Paul had been arrested for faithfully and fearlessly preaching about Jesus.

As he sat in chains, however, Paul did not despair. He didn’t descend into depression. His letter to the Philippians is one of the most joy-filled sections of Scripture. “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Paul wrote. “I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

One of Paul’s main motives for writing his letter to the Philippians was to thank them for a care package they had sent him as he awaited his trial. Over the years, the Christians in Philippi had sent numerous care packages to support him in his ministry.

In Philippians chapter 4, Paul thanked his Philippian friends for their concern for him (vv. 10,15-19). Paul’s present circumstances provided an opportunity for the Philippians to express their concern once again in a tangible way. But Paul wasn’t putting his hand out, asking for more.

Paul told them, “I am not saying this because I lack anything; in fact, I have learned to be content in any circumstances in which I find myself. . . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (vv. 11-13).

What Paul really was saying

Philippians 4:13 isn’t talking about the power God gives us to achieve whatever we dream or desire. It’s talking about the strength God gives to be able to handle life’s ups and downs.

For many in our world today, faith is believing that good things will happen. Faith is believing that all our dreams will come true. Faith is positive thinking.

The Bible defines faith differently. According to the Bible, faith is trust in God’s promises.

God doesn’t promise that if you dream it, you can do it. He doesn’t promise that if you just work hard enough, you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.

What God promises you is forgiveness. He promises you a home in heaven through faith in Jesus. He promises that he will be with you every moment of every day. He promises that he will make all things in your life—even the struggles—work for your eternal good.

Faith trusts those promises. Through those promises, our Savior gives us the strength we need to accept God’s will and to trust that everything that happens in our lives is for our good. God promises to give us the ability to be content in any and every situation.

To paraphrase Paul, we can handle anything that happens in our lives with the strength that Jesus gives us through his Word. That is what Philippians 4:13 truly means.

Applying this truth to our lives

What, then, should we tell our children? Should we tell them not to dream?

Tell your children that if they really want something, they should pray to God and ask him for it. Tell them to dream big, to think positively, and to work hard. With God’s help, they can accomplish much more than they might ever think possible. God can do for us immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20).

But also tell them that God doesn’t give us everything we want. He doesn’t promise to make all our dreams come true here on earth. Instead, he promises to give us the strength we need to accept whatever circumstances we may face in this life.

Tell your children to think positively and to aim for the stars. Then remind them that God will give them the strength to deal with it if they don’t make it there.

For futher thought

A friend comes to you and says, “I’m at my breaking point. I can’t handle the problems in my marriage . . . at my job . . . with my health. . . . I can’t do this anymore.” Thinking about what we’ve learned from Philippians chapter 4, what are some things you could tell that person to help in his or her struggles?

This is the first article in a series on misunderstood Bible verses.

The Scripture references used in this article are from the Evangelical Heritage Version.

Author: Andrew Schroer
Volume 112, Number 04
Issue: April 2025

Brining God’s Word into focus

Context is king

In a world of sound bites, TikTok videos, and YouTube shorts, words often get taken out of context. A clip of a politician or celebrity appears to show bad behavior or controversial comments. When the entire video or interview is seen, however, it becomes clear that is not what happened or what the person meant to say.

One of the biggest keys to understanding God’s Word is reading his words in context. Individual verses of the Bible need to be read in light of the verses around them. The reader needs to take into  consideration the entire book, its author, and the purpose for which that book was written. When an individual verse has more than one possible interpretation, context often clarifies the author’s intent.

For review: How does context help us better understand Philippians 4:13?