What Does The Bible Say About Resilience

Find An Exercise Regimen Youll Stick To

Scientists have found that over time a persons reaction to stress is improved through regular exercise.

Here is one area where the Bible is nearly silent. Although the Bible speaks primarily to the spiritual, there are suggestions to maintain physical health. Paul sums it up well. But reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come .

Need Some Encouragement And Bible Verses About Resilience For When Times Are Challenging Read On

Its 2020.

I keep wanting to come up with more of an introduction to this post, but this is really all I got, people.

You dont need to be told that its hard, or why. Its 2020. Everyone is going through something right now.

While there are always ways to find joy in any circumstance, we also cant deny our realities or how we feel. Real, lasting joy doesnt mean setting aside the truth.

Heres something good that is coming out of this time:

Summary Of Key Points From Lesson 1

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Principle : You Can Practice Resilient Behaviors In Your Everyday Life

Following are eight behaviors that will help you develop resilience if you practice them daily. Practicing them each day helps to make them an automatic response during times when you experience a greater degree of stress. Their daily use also lowers the baseline level of stress, which can help to reduce the impact of challenging situations. Make a plan to begin incorporating these eight behaviors into your lifestyle.

âMilitary life can be very hard. Sometimes in our Church culture, while we acknowledge that everyone has trials, there is also this false assumption that if you are righteous enough you will be able to handle anything with ease and peace. What does that mean if you are trying your best to live the gospel and you are struggling anyway? What military families need to hear is ⦠that struggle is normal. ⦠Every military family deals with issues.â

âIda Ewing, wife of Geoffrey Ewing, U.S. Air Force

Reflect on any experiences you have had or any blessings you have received by practicing these resilient behaviors. What examples have you seen of others who respond effectively to their challenges?

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What did you learn about hope and optimism from President Russell M. Nelsonâs teachings?

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What resilient behavior do you feel impressed to strengthen by practicing this week?

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What scripture or quote could help strengthen you as you practice?

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With whom would you like to share your experience daily as you learn?

How To Become More Resilient

Christians attend churches, like the one in the picture, and learn of the resilient people in the Bible such as the ones above. In the Holy Text, these stories aid church goers in bouncing back from almost unimaginable crisis. These characters in the Bible are frequently able to renew their lives after catastrophic occurrences which are usually mind-boggling and spiritually demolishing. However, developing a resilient personality does not have to wait for a traumatizing event. There are steps we can take as Christians and human beings to assist us before troubles set into our sails, when life altering moments present themselves with cyclonic force.

As a minister, I have often worked with individuals on building their capacity to have a resilient outlook on life. As a rehabilitation counselor, Ive seen such approaches to be psychologically sound in troubled times or preparing for them. Nevertheless, these steps are fundamentally good for all of us regardless of our educational or spiritual background. Here are nine ways to develop a resilient character be your own world-class champion or superhero:

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Bible Verses To Comfort Victims Of Natural Disasters

Genesis 18:25: It is unthinkable that would act in this manner by putting the righteous man to death with the wicked one . . . Will the Judge of all the earth not do what is right?

Meaning: God always does what is right he is not to blame when good people die because of natural disasters.

Psalm 46:1, 2: God is our refuge and strength, a help that is readily found in times of distress. That is why we will not fear, though the earth undergoes change.

Meaning: No matter what may happen around us, God is a reliable Source of strength.

Isaiah 63:9: During all their distress it was distressing to him.

Meaning: God has empathyhe feels for us when we suffer.

John 5:28, 29: The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear voice and come out.

Meaning: We can have the hope of seeing our dead loved ones again because God will empower Jesus to bring them back to life.

1 Peter 5:6, 7: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God . . . while you throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Meaning: God has deep concern for us and wants us to pray to him about our anxieties.

Revelation 21:4: will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.

Meaning: God will eliminate all causes of suffering, including natural disasters.

Resiliencespiritual Armor For Todays Youth

Of the Seventy

Our children are capable of thriving in the face of todayâs challenges. Our charge as parents is to help prepare them to meet those challenges head-on.

The story is told that during British rule of colonial India, an unacceptable number of venomous cobras lived in and around Delhi. To solve the problem, local authorities began paying a bounty for dead cobras. The ill-advised bounty backfired when enterprising locals began breeding cobras for profit. When the bounty ended, the breeders set the cobras free, further compounding the problem.

The phenomenon of unintended consequences sometimes causing more harm than intended benefits is known as the âcobra effect.â1

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The Encouragement To Keep Running Comes From Those Who Have Run Before Us But Primarily From Jesus Himself

A. The great cloud of witnesses encourages us to keep running.

The opening phrase of 12:1 refers back to chapter 11. All of the Old Testament saints, who endured all sorts of trials by faith, should encourage us to keep running when we feel like quitting. The word cloud was a classical Greek metaphor for a large multitude .

There is a question about whether these witnesses are watching us from heaven as we run the race or, more in line with the meaning of the word witness, do we look to their testimony as an example of how to run the race? There is no indication in the Bible that those in heaven are watching us on earth.

Probably, with the race metaphor, the picture here is that as we run the race, along the route we encounter the Old Testament saints . They are calling out to us by their examples of faith, Keep going, I made it and you can, too! I know its hard, but the reward is worth it! Dont quit! The finish line is not too far ahead!

I would encourage you to study both the many interesting characters in the Bible and the great men and women who have run the race of faith over the course of church history. Youll learn how they failed, so that you dont have to make the same mistakes. And youll learn how they ran well, so that you can imitate their faith . Many of the battles they fought, whether on a personal level or in their ministries, you will have to fight, too.

B. Jesus Himself is the main motivation to keep running.

. Jesus is the perfecter of faith.

Fear Ceases Where Perfect Love Begins

But there is another step. The Bible shows God wants more than obedience just based upon fear of consequences.

Fear is dangerous insofar as we let it drive us. We can overcome it by turning to the One who created us and our emotions.Instead, we have to increase in the motivation of love . As we grow in love for one another and for God, we can better understand the depth of love that God has for us, and His great desire not to see any of us fearful or suffering. God wants us to succeed! He fervently desires to see each of us happy in this life and, ultimately, forever. He is doing everything He can in our lives to get us there .

The apostle John wrote, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love . As we move from fear of consequences to love of God and of other people, we can replace anxiety with confidence.

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What Factors Contribute To Resilience

Let me start with a few categories. Pulled from what I teach in the Army, my specific training in the neurology of trauma and resilience and clinical experience, I would break resilience into seven factors.

CommunityThat it is not good for man to be alone is a fact that I could prove to you from scripture, countless psychological studies and even neurology. Human beings are wired to be more resilient to the effects of stress and trauma and generally psychologically and emotionally healthier when were in safe, healthy community.

Self-AwarenessSince Genesis 3 we have been hiding from ourselves, others and God, and the way toward healing is always the same: bring it into the light. We live in a world where we dont give much space for slow reflective thought on our emotions. Even being aware of the connection between our bodies and our emotions can be huge strides for some people. Self-awareness is vital both for healing and keeping us resilient. And it leads to our next factor.

Self-RegulationHolocaust survivor and psychotherapist Victor Frankl once said, There is a space between stimulus and response, and in that space is freedom. More than impulse control , self-control is widening that space Frankl mentions, and being able to bring truth and our values into it.

There is no better self-assessment than spending time in Gods word.

The Bible And Resilience

In the last section, we discussed the word fortitude and one of its synonyms, perseverance. Perseverance is a common theme in Scripture. Its also referred to as endurance, patience, and longsuffering, and its a character quality that God grows in us through the process of sanctification.

Hebrews points to the example of Jesus as our model of perseverance . He endured the scorn and suffering of the cross, and opposition from sinners, and continued to fulfill his calling. Other resilience examples in Scripture include Joseph, who continued doing Gods will even when he was thrown in prison Esther, who spoke up for the Jews even when it put her own life in danger and Daniel, who prayed openly in defiance of the kings laws.

Christian counselor Donna Gibbs says:

God can indeed replace your suffering with resilience! Resilience is more than just healing. Resilience comes when God takes a painful circumstance in our lives and not only heals us but also makes us even stronger than we were prior to the struggle.

Paul testifies that Gods strength is made perfect in his weakness . This Scripture shows us that resilience isnt something God leaves us to develop on our own. When we walk with Him and trust Him, we can rely on him for the strength we lack.

Our faith makes us resilient, because not only can we endure difficult situations knowing we are not alone, but we can also find meaning in them, knowing that God is working them together for our good .

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How Does God Help Victims Of Natural Disasters

• God comforts victims with his Word, the Bible. The Bible assures us that God cares for us and that he feels for us when we suffer. It also reveals his promise of a time when natural disasters will not happen anymore.See Bible verses to comfort victims of natural disasters.

• God helps victims by means of his worshippers. God uses his worshippers on earth to imitate the example set by Jesus. It was prophesied that Jesus would comfort the brokenhearted and all who mourn. Worshippers of God strive to do the same.John 13:15.

  God also uses his worshippers to provide practical relief to victims of natural disasters.Acts 11:28-30 Galatians 6:10.

Jehovahs Witnesses providing practical relief to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico

Dont Beat Yourself Up Or Dwell On The Past

Some years ago I spoke on the topic of forgiveness. One point I made was that some people may not want your forgiveness or care whether you forgive them or not. However, it may be important for you to forgive so you can move on with your life.

Afterward, I was approached by someone I did not know who had been divorced for a few years. He said he could not forgive his ex-wife and was justified because she had not asked for forgiveness. His anger and pain was very obvious throughout the conversation. Clearly he had not moved on and was letting his anger and resentment control his life.

Some simply cant seem to move on from the past. Either they cant forgive themselves, or they cant forgive someone else. This is a huge impediment to resilience .

Forgiveness is central to the New Covenant. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you . It is through forgiveness that we can put the past behind us and move on with our livesan essential component of perseverance.

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Develop A Core Set Of Beliefs That Nothing Can Shake

Scientific studies have shown that a characteristic of the resilient is a strong sense of right and wrong. In addition to identifying core values, the experts recommend that you regularly evaluate how well you are living your values and strive to reach higher standards .

This understanding is consistent with the Bible. However, the Bible goes a step further by emphasizing not just any core values but the right values. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God . In other words, prove the Bible is the Word of God and live it. The more closely Gods core values are followed, the more resilience increases.

Try To Find Meaning In Whatever Stressful Or Traumatic Thing Has Happened

In recent years scientists have conducted a number of studies related to post-traumatic stress disorder , a resilience-related disorder. One effective treatment has been to direct sufferers toward service to others, particularly those dealing with PTSD. By focusing on helping others, they have helped their own recovery and given meaning to their own suffering. Here is another example of a fundamental biblical principlegive to others.

In a broader sense, our trials serve as a training program to help us see our weaknesses and grow. Jobs experience is an excellent example . David expressed it well: For You, O God, have tested us You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and through water but You brought us out to rich fulfillment .

Peter recognized that resilience was among the key components signifying growth. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ .

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Lesson 4: Faith To Run The Christian Marathon

For many years Ive jogged for exercise, but Ive never run a marathon. My knees have never been strong enough to endure that long of a race. I have run a couple of 10K races. But if you have run in at least a 5K race, you should be able to identify with our text. If the thought of running in such a race makes you want to go take a nap, I only point out that I derived the metaphor of running a Christian long-distance race from the text itself. I didnt make it up! If youre a couch potato type, maybe youve seen a race on TV that will help you to relate to this message.

In Hebrews 10:36, the author exhorted his readers, For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised . Then he devotes chapter 11 to many examples of Old Testament saints who endured by faith, although they did not receive the promise , which we have received. In our text, he returns to the theme of endurance, saying, We have both this great cloud of witnesses from the Old Testament and Jesus Himself, who is the supreme example of one who endured horrible suffering by faith. He endured the cross and now is at the Fathers right hand. So,

To run the Christian marathon with endurance, faith focuses on Jesus, who endured the cross and received the reward.