Friday’s Column: Brent’s Biblical Bytes

Brent Pollard

Gloria Gaynor rose to fame in the late 1970s with her B-side recording of “I Will Survive.” Yes, that is correct. Gaynor secured her musical legacy with a song added as filler. The A-side recording was a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ song, “Substitute.” Yet, who other than an ardent fan even recalls Gaynor’s cover? Rolling Stone magazine included “I Will Survive” in their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004. In 2016, the Library of Congress added the song to its National Recording Registry to ensure its preservation. I do not mean to diminish the rest of Gaynor’s career, but it is doubtful that her name would be long remembered without her disco anthem.   

The Apostle Paul says something like “I will survive” in Philippians 4.13. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (NASB) I realize that this is an oft-abused Scripture. For example, athletes cite it after achieving a difficult win.  We likewise note aspiring Don Quixotes quoting it to rationalize their efforts to obtain their impossible dream. As with many Scriptures, however, the context clues us in on the meaning. The Apostle Paul wasn’t supplying us with a handy aphorism to pull out when needing to boost troop morale. He was letting us know how to survive any and everything. Note the preceding verses where Paul tells the Macedonians that he has learned how to get by with surplus or shortage. In the proceeding verses, Paul tells the Philippians that were a part of God’s Providence that enabled him to do “all things” since they provided financial support.   

So, is God promising us in Philippians 4.13 that we can do whatever it is that we have set our hearts to do? Of course not. But God is letting us know that He has our back. We can count on Him and His Providence. We might wear thrift store clothing and supplement our groceries with Dollar Tree items, but God will provide our needs in keeping with His promise (cf. Matthew 6.33).  Hence, we can move forward with boldness as we do the Father’s Will. We can survive, whether that be with little or much. That is a beautiful message to lean on as we face the uncertainty of this world.   

As I travel US 129 in White and Hall Counties, I note handmade signs that have popped up along the shoulders of the road, presumably in the wake of COVID-19. The placards state, “We will be OK.” I appreciate those signs. They speak to us truthfully whether we are talking about pandemics or uncertain election results. Because of God, we will survive. We might even say that we will do more than survive. We will thrive!      

Sources Cited 

“I Will Survive.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Will_Survive.