Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
What a blessing. He will supply all our needs. If so, what’s our responsibility? The bible places a large emphasis on work. He worked for six days and on the seventh He rested. He gave this as an example for us.
The bible is full of things that if misunderstood could be confusing. This is one. Many think of work as a burden. This isn’t biblical. Work is a blessing. We gain a good portion of our identity from it. Those that work little are cursed with insecurity or some other deficiency.
God has given us all gifts. Blessed is the one who works in the area of his gifting. We grow in confidence as we work. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.” This is a good portion of one’s life.
God wants us to rely on Him for our needs, but God also wants us to work. The concept is to “Do our best and commit the rest.” We are to work hard and to trust greatly.
If we were to trust and not work we wouldn’t receive from God. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, ‘For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”‘ We are to trust, work, earn then eat.
Our efforts usually aren’t enough. That’s why Paul speaks of God meeting our needs. We might earn enough financially, but we are made up of much more than an appetite and clothing. We’ve got social needs, spiritual needs and so on. We may be wealthy, but be deficient in other areas.
Just like we are to work we are to seek to fill our other needs. Some times we succeed other times we don’t. We can’t be good at everything. We ask others, we pray about them. Others help us, God helps us. We are to be interdependent.
Jesus gave an interesting teaching in the sermon on the mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, (Matthew 5:3). We are insufficient in many areas. If we know this we are blessed. Why? God didn’t create us to be independent of Him or others. We need God for salvation and wholeness. Without God there is an emptiness that is a constant ache. With Him there is peace and happiness.
We are also to be dependent on others. We are’t to be a burden to others, but we are to be interdepenant. Galatians 6 speaks to this. Verse 5 says, “For each one will bear his own load.” Generally we are to be responsible for our own issues. However, verse 2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” I can remember in high school having crutches. Someone asked to help with my books (this was before backpacks). I said, “No, thanks.” They snapped at me saying, “It’s ok to let people help you.” That didn’t sink in for decades. People are blessed when they help.
God wants us to be dependent/interdependent. In the midst of that He helps us. Jesus refers to that in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread..lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Bread isn’t just food, but all the needs that arise.
Depending on the church one was raised in and the health of the relationships of one’s family will result in how one relates to God. I had an awesome mom and a harsh uncaring stepfather. I learned to care for myself outside of others. I felt I was burdening them if I asked for help. That transferred over to God. It’s been a wonderful surprise to know that He really wants to be part of my day. I think of a healthy dad who loves his kids and how they would talk lovingly all day long. That’s God.
Thank You Lord for filling all my needs. Thanks for the lesson of work and interdependence. Thank You for my good friends. Thank You for caring for me and being in my life.