“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)
A Christianity that cannot survive the worst of times is not worthy of the name Christ. Jesus is the Overcomer. His servant Paul did not possess a fair-weather faith. He declared: “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Phil. 4:12)
Paul did not survive because he was a “tough guy.” To the contrary, he acknowledged how weak he was. He even gloried in his weakness “that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Men in their pride think they can handle hard times. “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.” (Psalm 30:6) But when the storm actually arrives they fall apart. (Matt. 7:27)
None of us are overcomers without Christ. We can’t even handle the good times properly. We need Jesus at all times. He is not an option; He is a necessity. Through Him, we will not only survive, but we will also thrive – under any sky.