RESILIENCE
RESILIENCE
"...they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe." - Acts 14: 19-20"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." - 2 Corinthians 4: 7-11
Resilience is "the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress, the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change, the capacity to withstand shock without permanent deformation or rupture, and the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change". This term should describe every Christian, every person who knows and trusts in the Sovereign Almighty God, Jesus Christ our Savior. We can be like the watch in the TV commercial that "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" or like the battery that keeps "going and going and going". One of our most outstanding characteristics as followers of Jesus should be our ability to persevere and endure. Therefore, it is one of the areas targeted by the enemy of our soul. He does all he can to get us to quit, and when Christians get upset with God it is one of the things they threaten to do—to quit.
The act of quitting or the threat to quit is one of the tactics used by rebellious human nature, the one final resource upon which we fall when we lose all other means of getting our own way. When the flesh has “had enough,” it quits. When manipulation or anger or other means fail to get the response we want, when we get tired of waiting on the Lord, when all other efforts have failed, we threaten to quit or we actually quit. When one lady in our church years ago was confronted about immoral behavior, she said, “Well, I guess you’ll have to throw me out of the church.” I responded, “Are you saying you’d rather quit than change.” She smiled and agreed. That statement describes many people.
Jesus expressed the importance of perseverance and endurance when he told His disciples that they would be rewarded for having continued with Him through His trials. God puts a lot of stock in perseverance, just simply continuing, hanging in there, and keeping on. Those who endure in obedience and faith in spite of pressure to the contrary will eventually discover the truth of Romans 8: 28, that God really does cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
The life of the Apostle Paul is a wonderful example of a man who "took a licking and kept on ticking". He was stoned at Lystra and left for dead. He was left for dead because stoning was a harsh and painful experience which usually killed people. To survive a stoning in Biblical times was probably as rare as surviving a hanging in the Old West. Anyone surviving a stoning would certainly be permanently disabled and crippled. He would be "laid up" for a while to say the least. Paul, however, was not typical; he knew the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. He was physically resilient because he was strong in spirit. Though the outward man was at death’s door, and probably was dead, the inner man was renewed and the Holy Spirit quickened his physical body. He got up and walked. He arose and entered the city. Then on the next day, he walked on to the next town. There was no EMS and no emergency room visit. He did not "lick his wounds" and mope. He did not become disillusioned with the ministry and quit. He did not get a bad attitude and go home. He did not isolate himself from the people of God or the work of God. He did not refuse henceforth to preach to unbelieving Jews such as the ones who tried to kill him. He went on with the job that Jesus had given him to do. He was "struck down, but not destroyed". He was not even slowed down.
The apostle Paul said, “We who serve the Lord are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” This has to be a very frustrating thing to the enemy. Out of our weakness, we are made strong, by faith. In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. For God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God causes us to arise from the pile of stones and continue in His purpose, and with an even a greater testimony of the grace and power of God as a result of our test.
ENDURING TO VICTORY
Endurance and resilience are demonstrated vividly in the human body's drive to sustain, perpetuate and heal itself. The mechanisms within the human body which protect it and keep it functioning are absolutely awesome. When one considers the billions of humans living on this earth and the fact that our bodies run better and are more dependable than any machines we know, when one considers the amazing durability of the human body, one cannot help but recognize that God made us to last. He made us to endure. Our physical bodies are born with a drive to survive, to be resilient, and to recover. This trait can also be a characteristic of our spiritual lives.
As Christians we can come through the fire without smelling like smoke. When the outward man perishes the inner man can experience continued strength and life. Oppression and trials may be painful, but they should never disable us spiritually. When we stand in faith everything turns out to our good and God's purpose. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. " 1 Peter 5: 8-11.
Jesus expressed the importance of perseverance and endurance when he told His disciples that they would be rewarded for having continued with Him through His trials. God puts a lot of stock in perseverance, just simply continuing, hanging in there, and keeping on. Those who endure in obedience and faith in spite of pressure to the contrary will eventually discover the truth of Romans 8: 28, that God really does cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
The life of the Apostle Paul is a wonderful example of a man who "took a licking and kept on ticking". He was stoned at Lystra and left for dead. He was left for dead because stoning was a harsh and painful experience which usually killed people. To survive a stoning in Biblical times was probably as rare as surviving a hanging in the Old West. Anyone surviving a stoning would certainly be permanently disabled and crippled. He would be "laid up" for a while to say the least. Paul, however, was not typical; he knew the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. He was physically resilient because he was strong in spirit. Though the outward man was at death’s door, and probably was dead, the inner man was renewed and the Holy Spirit quickened his physical body. He got up and walked. He arose and entered the city. Then on the next day, he walked on to the next town. There was no EMS and no emergency room visit. He did not "lick his wounds" and mope. He did not become disillusioned with the ministry and quit. He did not get a bad attitude and go home. He did not isolate himself from the people of God or the work of God. He did not refuse henceforth to preach to unbelieving Jews such as the ones who tried to kill him. He went on with the job that Jesus had given him to do. He was "struck down, but not destroyed". He was not even slowed down.
The apostle Paul said, “We who serve the Lord are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” This has to be a very frustrating thing to the enemy. Out of our weakness, we are made strong, by faith. In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. For God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. God causes us to arise from the pile of stones and continue in His purpose, and with an even a greater testimony of the grace and power of God as a result of our test.
ENDURING TO VICTORY
Endurance and resilience are demonstrated vividly in the human body's drive to sustain, perpetuate and heal itself. The mechanisms within the human body which protect it and keep it functioning are absolutely awesome. When one considers the billions of humans living on this earth and the fact that our bodies run better and are more dependable than any machines we know, when one considers the amazing durability of the human body, one cannot help but recognize that God made us to last. He made us to endure. Our physical bodies are born with a drive to survive, to be resilient, and to recover. This trait can also be a characteristic of our spiritual lives.
As Christians we can come through the fire without smelling like smoke. When the outward man perishes the inner man can experience continued strength and life. Oppression and trials may be painful, but they should never disable us spiritually. When we stand in faith everything turns out to our good and God's purpose. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. " 1 Peter 5: 8-11.
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