When we talk about being anointed, we're referring to the power of God that enables us to fulfill our divine assignments. If you're born again, you have access to this anointing - the power of God that works in and through you by faith.
What Does Philippians 4:13 Really Mean?
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This powerful verse isn't just a motivational quote - it's a profound spiritual truth. The word "Christ" isn't Jesus's last name; it refers to His office as the Messiah and the Anointing.
When we read this verse correctly, we understand it as: "I can do all things through the Anointed One and His anointing, which strengthens me." The Greek word for "strengthen" means to enable, empower, and make strong. The anointing makes you strong to do whatever God has assigned you to do.
Why Don't I Feel Anointed?
Many believers don't recognize they're anointed until that anointing is no longer present for a particular task. You don't necessarily have to "feel" anything special or have physical manifestations to be operating in the anointing. The anointing is about being empowered to fulfill your God-given assignment, not about emotional experiences.
The Amplified Classic translation of Philippians 4:13 expands this understanding: "I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me—I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me."
Is God's Power Limited by My Imperfections?
The Bible clearly shows that God uses imperfect people to accomplish His purposes. Moses had self-esteem problems and was a murderer. David was a man after God's heart but committed adultery and murder. Paul persecuted Christians before his conversion.
Your imperfection doesn't stop God from using you - it's your attitude and response to His calling that matters. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
How Does God's Grace Empower Me?
Grace is God's ability to produce results. The Holy Spirit is called "the Spirit of grace" in Hebrews 10:29 because He imparts God's unmerited favor and blessing. This grace manifests as the power of God to do whatever God says, regardless of your natural ability or inability.
When you yield to God's influence, His grace works through you to accomplish what you could never do in your own strength. This isn't about sitting passively and "basking" in God's presence - it's about taking action with the ability He provides.
What Is My Divine Assignment?
Ephesians 2:10 tells us: "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." God has a specific assignment for you that was planned before you were born.
One of the biggest failures in the body of Christ is a lack of understanding about assignment. Your identity and power are found in Christ, not in your natural abilities or limitations. Jesus found Himself in the Word of God and then walked it out by faith - and we must do the same.
How Do I Access More of God's Grace?
John 1:16 in the Amplified Classic says: "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received—all had a share and we were all supplied with—one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, and even favor upon favor and gift heaped upon gift."
As a believer, you have legal right and access to this abundance of grace. The transition from relying on your own strength to relying on God's strength can be uncomfortable, but as you learn to cooperate with His grace, the resistance becomes lighter until He elevates you to a different level.
Life Application
This week, I challenge you to identify your divine assignment and begin operating in the anointing God has given you for that purpose. Here are some questions to reflect on:
What has God called me to do that I've been resisting because I feel inadequate?
Am I trying to accomplish God's will through my own strength rather than His anointing?
How might my resistance to God's grace be affecting others around me?
What would it look like if I fully embraced God's empowerment for my assignment?
Remember, whatever God has called you to do, He will empower you to accomplish it. Your resistance only slows down His plan - it's like driving with your brake on. When you say yes to God and step into your assignment, you access His grace and anointing that enables you to do what would be impossible in your own strength.
The real you is not the person who feels incapable - that person no longer exists. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." You are a new person in Christ, the Anointed One, with access to His anointing. Whatever God has called you to be, you can do it through Christ, who strengthens you.