The Secret of My Success

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.

Writing from prison, Paul shared the secret that sustained him through his trials. "I can do all things in him who strengthens me." What confidence, trust and faith he showed under terrible circumstances!

I'm struck by the contradictions inherent in his message: to be free as a captive, to be well fed while in need—through Christ, he says. This is the heart of Christianity. It's at the core of our profession of faith, which I can recite by rote and do endeavor to understand. But when it comes down to it, do I really believe it? Do I trust my faith enough that it could sustain me?

I look back on times in my life when I felt lost and in the dark; indeed, the knowledge that I was being carried, a la the Footprints story, seemed to be the only thing guiding me forward. Ironically, it seems to be the times when I have the most tangible support that I feel the least spiritually sustained. Maybe, like Paul, I need to be truly hungry to feel full. Unlike Paul, I don't seem to know how to live with abundance.

I'm not anxious to fall apart in order to renew my faith. I know that I need to work harder so that my faith is my backbone rather than a crutch I use periodically.

Lord, help me learn to live with abundance.