Earth Is Heaven's BootcampSample

Learning Resilience

The word resilience is not only essential to know, but also one to include in our daily walk through boot camp. Boot camp is a series of learning events, and we often make mistakes.

Resilience pairs nicely with the "never give up, never quit" mentality! We covered that area, but I wanted us to look deeper into this word.

The dictionary gives two meanings: The Cambridge Dictionary

1. The ability to be happy, successful, etc., again after something difficult or bad has happened.

2. The ability of a substance to return to its usual shape after being bent, stretched, or pressed.

In life, we need to strengthen our ability to move forward during difficult times. So many things in life seem to side swipe us, wanting to knock us off our feet and keep us down. To have a resilient spirit is to live victoriously. In other words, no matter what happens, we don’t allow it to change "who we are in Christ!"

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” NKJV

Be joyful and thankful always? A husband died, a child got in a serious auto accident, a granddaughter lost her job, and we are told to be joyful! (I gave examples because sometimes it is hard to muster up joy amid circumstances.)

Ironically, on my brother’s deathbed, the last piece of advice he gave me was, “Norm, never stop praying.” His words, which I will always treasure, are right in the middle of the verse, between joyful and thankful. To be resilient, we must always maintain the joy of knowing we belong to Christ! No matter what life doles out, we know who will get us through.

“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 4:8-9 NKJV

The next time we get side-swiped, may we remember to apply the truths of today’s word.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for helping pick us up when life pushes us down. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.