Welcome Back to our month of #ManCrushMay posts! In case you missed it, the Hubs took over EatPrayWife this month, and he is selecting all of the topics and titles for posts in the Month of May. We are calling it the Husband TakeOver! He’s bringing a whole new vibe and perspective for us to read!

Check out the 1st Husband TakeOver post here!

Now, for today, we are going to talk about what the Hubs likes to call, the forgotten verse. It comes right before one of the most popular Bible Verses of all time, Philippians 4:13:

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 

You can find this Bible Verse almost anywhere. It’s on shirts, bracelets, rings, backpacks, signs, posters, youth group material, high school lockers, etc. This is definitely a Bible Verse that Christians, both young and old, cling to! Growing up, this was the verse that many of my friends had claimed as their life verse. What is so interesting about this verse is the verse that comes just before this beautiful declaration. Philippians 4:12:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

This is a bit of a game changer because we don’t want to be hungry or living in want. No way! We want all of our needs met, and tbh, we wouldn’t mind if our wants were also met. Personally, verse 13 sounds a whole lot better when you look at these two side by side. I mean, you have God giving you strength, promising that He will always be there for you, and you can rest assured knowing that you can do ANYTHING! But, then there’s verse 12 that says you know what it feels to need things, and you have learned what it means to be content, even during the hard times. That doesn’t sound so great, especially for those who are reading who can think of a time like this in their life.

We want God’s strength, we just don’t ever want to need it.

Why is that? Because:

• Needing His strength means we are too weak.
• Needing His strength means we can’t do this on our own.
• Needing His strength means our needs aren’t currently being met.
• Needing His strength means having to humble ourselves and ask.

It’s a lot easier to know that the strength is there and available, but as far as needing it, and knowing what it is like to receive God’s strength, that’s a different story. Verse 13 would be completely  unnecessary if not for verse 12. For when we are in moments of struggle and need, that is when we rely on this verse of Philippians 4:13.

Stay strong, my friends, and know that God is the ultimate source of strength. We will all, at some point in our lives, have the opportunity to live out verse 12, and if you have God on your side, then verse 13 will make verse 12 much more possible. Wouldn’t you want to go through periods of needs and wants, fully content because you know your worth and where and the source of your strength?

– the Wife