Superheroes are a multi-million dollar enterprise. Superhero movies have more than 13 billion dollars in revenue since 1978 -- and that’s just the movies. Comic book sales in 2015 alone have reached 334 million dollars -- and the year’s not even done yet! In addition, the numbers I just mentioned were for the United States only -- global numbers are much larger. Go into the children’s clothing department at any store and you’ll find superheroes on everything from t-shirts and pants to diapers, underwear, socks, and shoes.
The news is not all about money, though. Children all over the country pretend to be superheroes while they play. They tie a towel around their neck and run around their yard, pretending to be Superman. What many do, though, is injure themselves while pretending to be a superhero.
My brother-in-law tried to fly when he was a boy by jumping off of his bunk bed. He had a blanket tied around his shoulders and wore his underpants outside his clothes. He ended up landing on his dresser and broke several bones.
I saw an article online where another boy tried to climb down the wall of his apartment while wearing a Spiderman costume. He thought he would stick to the wall like Spiderman does because he had his costume on! He ended up falling head first out of the window. He had some pretty major bruising and broke his hand, but otherwise was OK.
There is even a full-on study at the National Institute of Health discussing this. It repeatedly has entertaining phrases like, “The children we saw have all had to contemplate on their way to hospital that they do not in fact possess superpowers.” and “Three [boys] were injured after initiating flight without having planned for landing strategies.”
People like superheroes because they like the idea of being exceptional in some way. People like the thought that they have a secret strength or ability that allows them to do something spectacular -- and that no one else can do. All superheroes have some superpower that no one else has. Spiderman has webs, Wolverine has his claws, Batman has an eternal bad mood and gravelly voice, and Superman can do just about anything.
There’s nothing wrong with reading superhero comics or watching the movies. The danger lies, though, when we try to actually become the superheroes. I’m not saying that it’s a bad idea to jump off your roof with a towel wrapped around your neck (though that’s still true), I’m saying that we should never try to rely only on our own strength to do anything.
The Bible speaks to this in a verse that many people use incorrectly and out of context. Philippians 4:13 says, “For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” The fact that Christ is the one who gives us all strength is not in question here -- what many people have trouble with is the first part. “I can do everything”.
Let’s look at the context for a moment.
The book of Philippians is really a letter. Letters at this time were not organized the way they are now, though. A letter we would right now goes to, message, from. The message itself would include all kinds of information, all mixed together. For example:
Dear John,
Please tell Billy I said thanks for helping me last week. I heard you guys were having a specific problem in your area, though. Here is my advice...
Love, Susie
A letter from Paul’s era, though, was organized much differently. It went from, to, message. The message was split into the main point of the letter (what was the writer trying to say) and personal thoughts unrelated to the main point. For example:
From Susie
To John
This is my advice concerning the problems you’ve been having in your area.
Also, please tell Billy I said thanks for helping me last week.
It’s a little bit different than how we think of a letter now, but it’s important to understand the difference because Philippians 4:13 is in the last chapter of the book. That means that the entire chapter is devoted to personal thoughts and greetings from Paul to the members of the church in Philippi.
Let’s start at verse 10. “10How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 14Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.”
Here, Paul is thanking the Philippians for their concern over his wellbeing. He acknowledges that they’ve always wanted to help, but simply haven’t been able to. Then he switches topics slightly, and starts speaking in a way that sounds strange -- at least to our ears. He says that he was never in need, because he’s learned to be content. He “learned the secret of living in every situation...with plenty or little”. At this point, the reader is wondering what is this secret? How can I learn to be content no matter how much or how little I have?
Finally, Paul drops his bomb -- “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Christ is Paul’s secret to contentment. But then Paul continues -- “Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.”
This is a little troubling though, isn’t it? Paul just finished talking about how things weren’t really that bad -- he’s content, really -- because he has the strength of Christ in his life. But then he says that they have done well to share with him in his “present difficulty”? If there’s difficulty, how can he be content? The definition of “contentment” even means, “a state of happiness and satisfaction”. Difficulty doesn’t sound happy and satisfying, right? So how can this be?
Paul, here, is emphasizing that things are not always rainbows and puppy dogs. Bad days happen. Difficult seasons come upon us. But even when these things happen, he can still find contentment. James even goes so far as to call it joy in his letter. James 1:2, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” Great joy when troubles of any kind come our way? Seriously?
Yes, seriously. This doesn’t make sense to the world, though -- which is why we can’t do it ourselves. We need the strength of Christ to be within us in order for us to think this way. Paul is saying here that no matter what happens, Christ will grant you the strength to get through it. It changes the focus -- instead of concentrating on the negative around you, you know that God’s got it under control. What difference does the negative make if Christ is present?
Paul mentions this a few verses earlier in the chapter. Starting with verse 4, 4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
We know this final verse -- it’s another one that’s commonly quoted. When you read it along with Philippians 4:13, though, the whole chapter begins to fit together in a very unique way. Paul is telling people to be joyful always. Always. He then goes on to tell people how exactly to do this. He says not to worry about anything, but pray about everything. Don’t worry? That sounds familiar...didn’t Jesus say something about worry in Matthew chapter 6? Several times? Verse 25, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life -- whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” verse 27-28, “27Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,” verse 31, “So don’t worry about these things, saying ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’” and verse 34, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
That seems pretty clear.
After we pray and tell God what we need, though, we should thank Him for all He has done. In the middle of our trials and tribulations, we should still remember the blessings God has already given us, and remain thankful for them. Only then can we truly experience God’s peace -- His divine peace, which is greater than anything we can understand here on earth.
Then, Philippians 4:8 -- “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
This sounds like an optimist speaking, to me. If we always think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable; if we always think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise, we will find it much easier to be content. In other words, don’t dwell on the bad stuff! Christ is bigger than all of the bad stuff anyway, so why worry about that when we have so much other, beautiful stuff to think about instead?
Philippians 4:13 does not say that we can literally do anything -- we can’t fly like Superman, or have retractable claws like Wolverine. We can’t stick to walls like Spiderman, and it even says that we have no reason to be in an eternal bad mood like Batman. In all of these superheroes -- and all others I haven’t mentioned -- their strength comes from within. They are their own strength and they set their purpose in the world. We are not like that, though -- true superheroes don’t really exist. What does exist, though, is a superpowered God, who will willingly and repeatedly share His strength with us when things get difficult. Instead of relying on ourselves, we now rely on God.
Christ strengthens us -- not ourselves, not the world, not a radioactive spider. People “get through” difficult circumstances on their own all the time. Bad things happen all over the world, but the world is not filled with Christians! People get through bad things on their own, but only through Christ will he have the strength to get through bad times while remaining content and joyful. THAT is the key. When people see us remaining joyful and content, even in the midst of suffering, they will take notice. They will want to understand how something like that is possible. They will want that for themselves -- and open the door for a witnessing opportunity.
