Sacred Whispers Blog

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:11–13 (NKJV)

It was a crisp Saturday morning, the kind of day when the sunshine deceives you into thinking it’s warm, only for a sharp chill to greet you the moment you step outside. Preparing for a jog, I grabbed a jacket and started my run. The first mile was cold. By the second, I felt just right. By the third, I was peeling off layers, sweat pouring as the temperature climbed. As I rounded the last stretch to my porch, a whisper surfaced in my spirit: “The season is changing, Nakia. Prepare yourself.”

Life, much like that run, is full of changing seasons. One moment, we’re bracing against the chill of trials; the next, we’re basking in the warmth of God’s abundant blessings. We must remain prepared for various conditions as we each run the God-ordained race set before us. This is what I call “spiritual elasticity.” The key isn’t to resist the fluctuating seasons of life but to remain spiritually elastic—flexible enough to adapt to whatever conditions arise while staying anchored in Christ. We are instructed to flex between the mundane and the miraculous. Our spiritual elasticity and maturity are fortified as we lean on the Lord through both the abased and abundant seasons of life. We become stabilized and fully equipped to steward highs and lows because we rely on Jesus Christ, the only true constant in our lives.

LEARNING THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT

The Apostle Paul knew this lesson well.  When he penned his letter to the church of Philippi, he had just been imprisoned for casting a demon out of a fortune-telling slave. While writing from his prison cell, Paul reflected on his life: a journey filled with dizzying highs and devastating lows. His words in Philippians 4:11–13 reveal a hard-won wisdom, born from the turbulence of his walk with God.

One of the keywords in Philippians 4:12 is “learned.” Like all of us, Paul was not born with spiritual elasticity. Instead, he writes from a rich perspective shaped by the turbulence in his life. After all, the same man who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament was once a staunch persecutor of believers. After encountering Jesus on his way to Damascus, his life reflected exactly what the Holy Spirit said: I will show him how much he will suffer for my name (Acts 9:16). Paul’s life was marked by extremes. He preached the gospel boldly and witnessed miracles, yet he was also beaten, imprisoned, and ultimately martyred.  From the mountaintops of spiritual triumph to the valleys of suffering, Paul discovered the secret: Christ is the constant. He could endure all things because of the strength he drew from Jesus. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength”.

Many believers quote Paul’s famous words: “I can do all things through Christ.” Remember that he learned this through extreme highs and lows while walking closely with the Lord. At one of the lowest points in his ministry, he poured his heart out to the church about his hopeful expectation of what awaited him. Paul maintained this perspective: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

THE OIL OF PREPARATION

In every season, the Holy Spirit wants to produce precious oil within you, further conforming you to the image of Christ. The oil that fuels a lamp is not created during moments of ease but through the process of crushing. Just as olives are pressed to extract their oil, our trials produce the spiritual “oil” we need to sustain us during seasons of trial and testing. Paul’s resilience reminds us that God uses both abundance and adversity to shape us. The same God who walks with us in the valley is the same God who stands with us on the mountaintop. Each season—whether one of hardship or harvest—serves a purpose in conforming us to the image of Christ.

There is a quote by Corrie ten Boom, a woman who endured the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp yet clung to God’s faithfulness, that illustrates this truth best: “When a train goes through a tunnel, and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”

The oil produced privately during the low valleys of life is the very thing we need to flourish on the mountaintops. The Lord wants us to succeed in every season and is faithful to carry us from one season to the next.

FINDING STRENGTH IN EVERY SEASON

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:12 challenges us to embrace both the highs and the lows of life. When we are “abased,” we learn humility.  When we “abound,” we learn gratitude.  When we are “abased” we learn endurance.  When we “abound” we learn generosity. Each season has its own lessons, its own blessings, and its own opportunities enclosed within it.

Highs and lows -

Lord, You’re with me either way it goes

Should I rise or should I fall.

Even so -

Lord, Your mercy is an even flow

Should I rise or should I fall,

You are faithful through it all.

Aodhan King, Ben Tan, Joel Houston

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, please hold my hand as I walk through the highs and lows of life. Your Word declares that all things work together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28).  In seasons of trial, help me to come out of the fire refined and not burned. In seasons of triumph, give me the wisdom to steward the success you give me to enjoy. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

DAILY SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

Reflect on your most recent mountaintop season and your most recent valley season. What did you learn about God in those seasons, and how did it change you? As you reflect, spend some time thanking the Lord for His faithfulness to you through your highs and lows. Then, identify one practical way to honor Him in the current season you are in—whether it’s through gratitude, faithfulness, or a renewed commitment to His Word.

As you move forward, remember: the seasons may change, but God remains constant. Draw your strength from Him and press on.