Resilience Is a Daily Habit
Hebrews 12:1-3
In Hebrews chapter people are listed who were faithful to God and demonstrated resilience. Hebrews 12 reflects on the heroes of faith and says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
This morning I’m presenting a subject that can make a significant difference for your life, your work and your future. The Hebrew writer encourages us to consider all the people of faith who have lived lives that honored the Lord and have gone on before us. They are surrounding us and cheering us on as we run with perseverance the race of life. I’m using the term “resilience” in place of perseverance. The New Living Bible translates the word as “endurance.”
The Hebrew writer had watched races in the coliseums of his day. All who completed the race were cheered because they did not give up and quit in the middle of the race.
Training for sports has many parallels to becoming a strong Christ follower. Becoming proficient in sports and the Christian life have one common denominator, “discipline.” Becoming a winner requires hours and hours of disciplined practice. In spite of pain in your body you get out and practice everyday.
When I started High School I had heard about tennis but I had never played. I tried playing with some friends and it the ball all over the court and often into the net. That summer my mother attended summer school at Emporia State Teachers College and enrolled me in several summer high school classes, typing, social studies, auto mechanics and tennis.
In the class on tennis I learned there are several ways to hold a tennis racquet and how to practice tossing up the ball when serving. There are preferred ways to stand when hitting a forehand and backhand. When I started practicing using some of the basics for tennis I began to play better.
Last Tuesday evening we watched the TV program “According to Jim.” Jim’s son came home from school and reported that he was quitting basketball. He didn’t want to play basketball at school anymore. His mother agreed but Jim said in no way would a son of his be a quitter. The way to manhood was to make a commitment and stick with it.
Jim’s sister-in-law challenged Jim to run in a six mile race. All he had to do was complete the race and he could demonstrate to his son by setting an example that he was not a quitter. Jim was way out of shape and knew he could never finish a six mile race. Jim’s friend devised a way he could finish the race. He would take a short-cut and rest in a beauty salon and then join the race and finish.
The gun sounds and the race is started. Jim darts into a beauty salon and sat down and had his toenails manicured. He went to sleep and woke up with a start. He put his shoes on and raced out and took the short cut and found that he was leading the race and was the first to cross the finish line.
Everyone he greeted who knew him said that he cheated. They knew he cheated because he won the race. He rationalized that he only cheated because he wanted to teach his son not to be a quitter. No one is proud of quitters. Everyone wants to run the race of life and finish well.
I. Resilient People had a clear Life Purpose
The Hebrew writer pictures a resilient person as one who refuses to be a quitter. The resilient person does not have a loser limp. Resilience is a characteristic that embodies the throwing off of weights, avoiding traps, eluding entanglement, and keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus.
When you have a clear life purpose you reach the age of 40 and know that your first 40 years were great, but the second half of your life can even be better.
Caleb is an example of a resilient person with a clear purpose in life. The Lord had commanded Joshua and the children of Israel to conquer the land of Canaan. Much of the land had been conquered, but some of the hardest land to conquer was the hill country. Caleb assured Joshua that at the age of 85 he felt as strong as he was when 40 years earlier they began their wilderness wanderings. “Today I am eighty-five years old, I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on the journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So I’m asking you to give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the Anakites, living there in great walled cities. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:10-12
Paul and Silas singing in jail awaiting possible death is another example of resilience. Paul and Silas were in Philippi preaching the good news about Jesus. A demon-possessed slave confronted Paul and Silas and cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” Acts 16:;17 Wherever Paul and Silas traveled in the city the slave girl followed them and tried to cause them trouble.
Paul got tired of being harassed by the demon-possessed girl and turned and spoke to the demon possessing her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her,” And instantly the demon left her.
The owner of the slave girl saw his fortune drying up since her fortune-telling brought him lots of money. He stirred up the people and had Paul and Silas brought before the city authorities and charged them with teaching things that are against Roman customs. The city officials ordered them to be beaten with wooden rods and thrown in prison.
Acts 16:25 “Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.”
Resilient people sing during good times and bad times. Resilience is a choice. You persevere because your life purpose is to keep your eyes focused on Jesus.
An old chorus has these words: “O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face…And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
As you daily build into your life spirituals disciples they will strengthen your resolve to honor the Lord in all you do.
Resilient people have a clear life purpose. Resilient people are committed to ending their life with strong faith. They do not give up when throwing in the towel seems the best choice to make.
I saw resilience in action when Associate Pastor Dwight worked four or five years in finishing his Doctoral dissertation. His lap-top computer crashed and he lost 2/3 of his documentation. He did not give up. His tenacity and resilience resulted in his walking the aisle and graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary with a Doctor’s degree in Church Ministry.
II. Resilient People practice self control.
Resilient people apply the teaching of God’s Word to their life and character. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
The root word for “self control” means to “get a grip” or “to take hold.” This describes people who get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that bring them success. A former NFL once said: “The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making excuses, that’s the day you start to gain victory.”
# Here’s a video clip that shows the opposite of self control. This football team is out of control.
Edward Everette hale wrote:
“I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
The teenager Daniel and his three Hebrew friends demonstrated self control when they said “no” to the rich food of the King that had been sacrificed to pagan idols. God rewarded them for their commitment and gave them health and great wisdom.
It takes self-control to take responsibility for your physical health. Physical health like spiritual health demands a daily routine. When I worked on farms during the summer, played sports during school years I kept fairly physically fit. Now much of my work is done at a desk and driving a car. I’m now committing to four times a week doing at least 30 minutes of physical exercise and saying no to unhealthy eating.
Resilient people take charge of their lives and stop making excuses.
Ever since Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the Serpent we have been playing the blame game.
# The sales manager of a dog food company asked his salespeople how they liked the company’s new advertising program. “Great! Best in the business!” the salespeople responded.
“How do you like our new label and package?”
“Great! Best in the business!” The sales people responded.
“How do you like our sales force?”
“They were the sales force. They had to admit they were good.
“Okay, then,” said the sales manager. “So we’ve got the best label, the best package, and the best advertising program being sold by the best sales force in the business. Tell me why we are in seventeenth place in the dog food business?”
There was silence. Finally someone said, “It’s those lousy dogs. They won’t eat the stuff!”
The Proverb writer in Proverbs 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken down walls.” Lack of self control results in…Anger (Proverbs 29:11 “A fool gives vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Drinking (Proverbs 23:35) The Proverb writer describes the drinker as one who get bruises, blood shot eyes, the drink goes down smoothly but bites like a snake, he has trouble walking straight and says: “They hit me, but I am not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” Lack of self control results in Lust. (Proverbs 6:25-26) “Do not lust in your heart after an immoral woman, or let her captivate you with her eyes., for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.” Lack of self control results in becoming obsessed with Wealth. (Proverbs 23:4) “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.” Lack of self control results in foolish spending. (Proverbs 21:20) “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.”
Resilience is what keeps you true to the Lord to the end of your life. Resilience keeps you from failing and turning from the Faith of our Fathers. Demas was a disciple of Jesus. He was active in the early church. Colossians 4:14 The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Colosse. “Our dear friend, L:uke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.” In the book of Philemon 24 the Apostle Paul names Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke as fellow workers.
The Apostle Paul writes a sad commentary on Demas when he writes to Timothy who is serving as pastor in Ephesus, 2 Timothy 4:10, “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me…” Demas didn’t finish well. He lacked resilience.
Resilient people have a clear life purpose and practice self control.
III. Resilient People are Generous Living People
Any resilience I have I own to my mother. Under discouraging and stressful home challenges she took a firm stand for the Lord. I saw my mother baby sit children in our home and do washings and ironing for others to help pay for family expenses.
She decided to help her two children go to college so she began taking college courses at the age of 40. She could teach school while she was going to college during the summers. My mother and I graduated from college the same year. Her teaching position helped me get through college and seminary. My mother gave sacrificially for the needs of her family, but regardless of her income she always gave her tithe 10% to the Lord’s work.
My mother practiced what she taught. As parents are you practicing what you are teaching your children?
We tell our children to behave, to sit on the couch rather than standing on it, to read the Bible and to pray. We want our children to be socially adapted and pleasing to God in their relationships with the Lord. But if we as parents do not behave properly, speak harshly to our spouse or show insensitively to our spouse, and do not practice holy disciplines. Our children learn from our negligence; they will mimic our behavior more than our words.
Resilience comes by daily actions, not words. Resilience is a lifelong pursuit that needs to be practiced daily.
When I say that resilient people are generous living people I’m talking about people who are giving of themselves and their time and their possessions to help others. Generous living has nothing to do with your level of income. It has all to do with your heart.
A missionary was giving a pastor a tour of his mission field in South Africa. They drove by an open field where there were small groups of homeless men sitting around fires. The pastor asked his host, “What do you think they talk about?”
The missionary responded that he had no idea. But he said, “I can tell you this. No man in that circle starves or goes without. If you approached that circle, you’d be offered something to sit on, something to drink, and something to eat. No matter how little they have, a portion would be shared with you.”
The Apostle Paul names generous living people in his writings. He mentions Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:16-18, “Because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.” Onesiphorus practiced generous giving of himself for others.
Pricilla and Aquila were a resilient couple that gave generously of themselves for the cause of the Gospel to assist the Apostle Paul in his ministry. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of Gentiles are grateful to them. (Romans 16:3-4)
The spirit of generous living is found in the lives of resilient people.
Let me say it again, “Resilience is a daily habit.” Studies show that habits become fixed when practiced for at least 21 days. You will be a resilient person as you clarify your purpose in life to glorify Jesus as your Lord and Savior, You will be a resilient person as you take control of your life and begin to take control of areas of your life that are out of control. You will be a resilient person as you focus your life on giving your time, energy, skills and money to help others.
We might compare a resilient life to growing a garden. Say you have a piece of property and you dedicate the property to grow a garden of vegetables and flowers. The primary purpose of the garden is to grow a garden. To grow a garden will take effort and self control. You endure the hot sun and hard work of breaking up the soil and planting seed. You goal for the garden is to be generous in sharing the fruit, vegetables and flowers to encourage and inspire others. And finally you don’t let hardships keep you from growing a garden.
IV. Resilient people forgive those who offend them and press on.
What if you have worked hard at growing your garden? You have hoed the weeds, watered the garden and begin to see green plants start to grow. You sweet corn is starting to shoot up and is already six inches tall. But your grandchildren who have been told not to go near the garden venture in the garden and pull up half the small plants of sweet corn. What will you do?
You will give them a lecture on obedience. They will ask your forgiveness and you will forgive them and press on. If you are resilient, you will replant the corn and wait for a later crop. The non resilient person will be filled with resentment and complain that you didn’t raise your children that way. Here’s the difference. Resilient people forgive and press on.
Gordon McDonald in his book, "A Resiliant Life" tells the story given by author John Claypool about two brothers who were inseparable. Growing up they attended the same schools, wore similar clothes, engaged in the same activities. When they got out of school they took over the family business – a store- and worked so well together they were the envy of other businesspersons in their community.
One morning a customer entered the store and purchased an item for 20 dollars. The brother who took the order laid the 20 dollars on the cash register, and walked to the front of the store with the customer to say good-bye. When he returned to the cash register the 20 dollar bill was missing.. He asked his brother if he had seen the money and if he had put it in the register. The brother said he had never seen it.
The other brother said he must have seen it because besides the customer they were the only ones in the store and no one else has been in the store since then.
An hour later this time with a noticeable hint of suspicion in his voice, the brother asked again, “Are you sure you didn’t see the 20 dollar bill and put it into the register?” The other brother was quick to catch the note of accusation, and responded in defensive anger.
The incident was the beginning of a breach of trust that had never come between the two brothers before. The mistrust finally resulted in the brothers dissolving their partnership and building a wall in the store to separate their two businesses. For twenty years they fought against each other.
One day a car with an out-of-state license drove up in the front of the stores. A well-dressed man got out and went into one of the doors and inquired how long the merchant has been in business in that location. When he found that it was over twenty years, the stranger said, “Then you are the one with whom I must settle an old score.”
The visitor then related an incident from twenty years back. He had been a drifter, moving from town to town, no money and almost nothing to eat.
As he was walking down the alley behind the store, he looked in and saw a 20 dollar bill on top of the cash register. Everyone else was in front of the store. He had not stolen anything before, but that morning he was so hungry he gave in to the temptation and quietly slipped through the door and took the 20 dollar bill. He said he had not had peace in his heart since that time and now after 20 years was facing up to his sin and wanted to replace the money with interest.
After hearing the story the brother hung his head and began to weep. After he gained control of himself he asked the man to go next door and repeat the same story to his brother.
The stranger told the other brother the same story and now two older men who looked remarkable alike, were both weeping uncontrollably.
Resilient people are quick to forgive. Resilient people understand what Jesus said about forgiveness. Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21, “How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” Jesus replied; “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” In other words you are never to stop forgiving.
Do you begin to grasp how resilience is a daily habit? Resilience is a lifestyle.
Resilient people have a clear life purpose.
Resilient people practice self control.
Resilient people are generous living people.
Resilient people forgive those who offend them and press on.
