4 Parts to Resiliency 22 Nov 2020
Hello Calvary Family and others who are watching
this video. I am Pastor Greg from Calvary Reformed Church in Mattawan, Michigan.
We just finished up a 5-week series on the Old Testament Book of Esther. It was an amazing series. I learned a lot
And I hope you learned a lot, too…about God's providence within our lives, within the life of the nation.
Today, we're going to look at just one aspect of our life. On the 29th of November, Advent begins. Can you believe that? Advent…four weeks before Christmas.
Before I start, I’d like to have a word of prayer: Father God, I ask that the words that You've given to me
would be words from You, Lord. I seek your wisdom O Lord, to engage and educate Your people today. In Your name we pray, Amen.
A lot of you know that I spent 33 years as an Air Force Air National Guard Chaplain. About seven months ago I retired from the wing chaplaincy in Battle Creek, Michigan. One of the things chaplains get to do is a lot
of what's called briefings… a lot of teachings. Training in front of everybody. One of those briefings was one on resiliency. It’s been on my heart since March. That was the start of the shutting down of businesses and schools.
We went through all of that…then we opened back up -and now we're having things shut down again. There is an emotional struggle that goes on with all that. I was talking with my sister from Alaska this past week. She is a nurse. She said that they are dealing with major depression issues within some of the villages.
I was talking with some pastors the other day on a Zoom meeting…other Reformed Church Pastors and just the reality that teenage suicide ideation is growing. You've all read the statistics that abuse in homes is rising. Child abuse is increasing. We're struggling as a people. We're struggling as a nation. We’re struggling as a church.
The last seven/eight months I've had ten families that have lost their loved ones. Many celebration of life services…too many. In just the last seven months. It weighs down on my heart and it hurts. The struggle that we're going through not being able to celebrate people's lives…I don't know about you; I'm being honest here…
it's been a struggle for me. I'm used to being with people at the base, here at church, leading the bible studies. I’m used to having worship all together.
There has been change within our lives. Resiliency is the
ability to bounce back. The ability to face struggles and then move on in life. I have a short little video that I’d like you to watch. It's myself and three of my grandchildren dealing with resiliency.
**The 2-minute video of 4 square was about two scenes. The 1st scene, the ball has air, and we can play 4 square. The 2nd scene, the ball cannot bounce because there is no air in the ball. So, I asked my grandkids, what does the ball need. They responded, a pump, a needle, the air, and a person to work the pump. The fact is, when the ball is without air the ball has NO resiliency and the ball needs help.
We're going to look at four different ways within our lives that we can have resiliency. Before we do, remember Vince Lombardi? Best known as the Green Bay Packers head coach? He said one time, ‘It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back
up again’. I love that, friends. It's not whether we get knocked down, it's whether we get back up again.
How do we get back up within our lives? I want us to look at four different ideas of what resiliency is within our lives.
The first one deals with the physical aspect of our lives. Whenever I'm walking with someone who’s had a major trauma within their life (myself included), I ask the question, ‘How are you taking care of yourself physically? Are you getting outside to walk or run? Are you eating healthy? Are you getting enough rest? Are you getting the exercise that you need?’
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1 ‘Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.’
Friends, we are called to take care of our bodies because we offer that to Jesus Christ. We offer our bodies to God as a sacrifice. Paul also says in I Corinthians 6:20 that ‘We have been bought with a price, therefore honor God with our bodies.’ I know some of you have heard it from
other people, some of you have heard it from me…we can come through this pandemic either a hunk, a chunk, or a drunk.
I know I need to get back into exercising. Man, since I've retired from the Air Guard it has been a difficult to feel motivated to get going. However, I know when I do something physical it helps my mental resiliency. The physical aspect of resiliency is an aspect that God wants us to take care of our bodies.
The second aspect of resiliency is the mental aspect. The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:8 ‘Whatever is lovely, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good, report whatever is virtuous anything else praiseworthy… meditate or think on these things.’
What do we think about? Too often you and I might have a stinky mental process. The mental gymnastics that we do within our lives can pull us down or lift us up. The Apostle Paul says to think on what is true, what is noble,
what is just, what is pure, what is right, what is lovely. We aren’t supposed to be thinking on the evil stuff that's
going on around us. The author of Hebrews 12 says it this way, ‘therefore since we are surrounded by love, we are surrounded by such a greater cloud of witnesses.’
As I said before, I've been involved with 10 individuals
who have passed on in the last seven/eight months. I can tell you it’s a double-edged sword for those that I know
who are Christians. It is a loss, but also a celebration. There is still a loss…and those who are Christians, who are with the Lord are the great cloud of witness around us.
The author says in Hebrews 12 ‘We're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. Let us throw off everything that hinders us and let us fix our eyes on Jesus
who is the author and the finisher. The perfecter of our faith. Consider all that He endured that we may not grow weary.’
When we get stuck in that stinky thinking, we need to open our scriptures. We need to spend time with the Lord and keep our eyes on Jesus Christ.
Resiliency…the ability to bounce back.
• We need to keep our bodies physical. We need to eat right, get enough sleep
• We also need to take care mentally. As Paul says, focus on what is right, pure, honorable. Be focused on Jesus Christ.
The third aspect of good resiliency is the social aspect. Family, friends, and being involved in the community.
Ecclesiastes 4 says two are better than one because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, their friend can pick them up. Pity the person who falls down and has no one to pick them up.
If two lie down together they can stay warm. But, how can one keep warm by themselves? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. At weddings I relate this to the Hebrew idea that teach that marriages are between a husband, a wife, and God.
What the author here of Ecclesiastes is saying is that three strands are stronger than one or two…he's also referring to the strength of three strands of your hair braided, or three strands of braided rope. Things that are braided in strands of three are strong.
Socially, BE TOGETHER. Whether it's phone calls, Zoom, social media, or face to face. However we can work that out, WE ARE CALLED TO BE A BODY OF CHRIST.
Will the current situation be forever? I don't believe so. I believe the Great Physician Jesus Christ is going to give individuals the wisdom for the vaccine, the wisdom for how things can move forward. And we will be able to come back together again.
Resiliency…I know this might sound like an Air Force
briefing, and it is. But it is a Biblically based teaching as well.
• We need to take care of our bodies because our bodies are ultimately God's.
• We need to take care of ourselves mentally as well. Focus on the good that Christ has done within your life.
• Socially, be part of the body of Christ. Reach out to others who are in need.
Finally, we should have spiritual resiliency. I'm not meaning spirituality…like the world says today. I’m not talking about new age spirituality or to go out and find whatever fits. I'm saying a committed daily relationship with Jesus Christ.
Find your purpose in life. If you've never read the book A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, I highly encourage you to read it. We need to be part of that family of faith. I've heard so many people say, ‘well you know what Pastor Greg, we can be a Christian without being part of a family.’ I say, you know what? Christ died for the church. When you're denying the family, the church, you're
denying your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Some of you are going to go whoa you actually said that? Yes I did. Yes I did. When I wanted to become the husband to Sue, we got married. We were one. If we truly want to say that we are part of the Body of Christ then we need to be part of the Body of Christ…a local church.
Spiritually, Jesus says to us in John 11, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though they die they will live.’ He says this to Martha when Lazarus, her brother, had died. He came to Mary and Martha and He says, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ Do you believe this? There is no other resurrection in life, friends. Nobody else can give us that resiliency, that strength, that buoyancy that we need…except Jesus Christ.
Three chapters later in John 14 Jesus says, ‘I am the way,
the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me. I am the way.’ Christ says He is the way, the truth, the life. I love it when Pilate is judging Christ and Pilate says, ‘What is truth?’ Truth was standing in front of Pilate. Truth is Jesus Christ as the way the truth and the life.
Spirituality is the strongest pillar of resiliency within our life.
Building resiliency…
• Physically we need to take care of ourselves.
• Biblically it tells us to mentally be focused on what is good, pure, and lovely. The Bible tells us to have mental focus.
• Socially we are called to be that Body of Christ. The Bible tells us that we are called to be that Body of Christ.
• Spiritually we need to be walking with the Lord Jesus Christ daily. Be in relationship with Him as the way, the truth, and the life.
I started off by saying that we all are going through struggles. There are some days that I think, Lord…what are you doing? Then I must take a step back, take a cleansing breath and say, ‘Lord. where are you leading?
What is Your purpose in my life? How do You want me to reach out to others? Lord, I desire to walk with You daily.’
Friends, I encourage you to go back through and
check out these passages that I listed. May the Lord bless you; may the Lord grant you grace and strength. May the Holy Spirit be the One which buoys us up when we’re feeling down and depressed and alone and like all is lost.
May you know that Jesus Christ gave His life for you and me so we can walk in relationship with Him here and now with the joy of the Lord knowing we’ve got better things to come. Amen
