#ProjectC61920 Day 11: Spiritual Resilience

#ProjectC61920 Day 11: Spiritual Resilience

As we stated yesterday, resistance is anything that impedes or attempts to prevent movement or progression of something. In our Christian walk, resistance over time is called a trial or tribulation. 

Isn’t it amazing that people find no issue with training with weights and resistances at the gym, but when it comes to our spiritual lives, we balk against any difficulty or form of persecution. But it is in this exact thing which Paul exhorts us to rejoice when he says “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4, italics added). Just as iron must strike iron to produce a sharper edge, or as a hammer must impact a piece of steel to make a sword that can withstand many battles, so we must embrace—and even rejoice in—our spiritual blows as we know each instance can strengthen us, if we allow God to work in us through them.

Remember how I said physical resistance differs from spiritual resistance. Well, that’s half true.

Have you ever heard someone day “God never gives you more than you can handle”? This is a misrepresentation of 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says the God will not tempt us beyond what we are able, and will provide a way of escape so that we are able to endure. God will usually allow us to be met with more resistance than we can handle because He wants us to lean on Him, our only hope, for victory. Temptation is somewhat different that resistance. Temptation allows us to doom ourselves, while resistance attempts to cause us to fail by the choice of others. We should not put ourselves in a position which we know we will be tempted to fail. Temptation will come all on its own. No need to help it.

One way we can exercise our own spiritual resistance is to get out of our comfort zone. The most clear way I’ve understood this to occur is when I made (and continue to make) the conscious choice to believe the Bible no matter what it says. It’s hard to accept some things in the Bible. It’s uncomfortable. Our own pride then becomes the resistance that we must strive against. We must deny the personal tendency to allow our own intellect to be the final judge of what is true and what is not. We have to consciously and consistently choose to believe every word of the Bible. I have found this hard with more than a couple of passages. Verses that say a wife should submit to her husband, that we shouldn’t worry (even though it’s so natural right?), or that nothing good or bad we can do can make us more or less saved…these passages are hard to swallow. But I choose to trust in His Word because when I think about it, it has never been wrong. We must all make this decision, or we’ll never move past it.

In summary, remember that resistance builds strength. Resistance over time is a trial/tribulation. Our perspective, as Christians, of trials should be one of relative joy and appreciation, because God has a plan for our growth and character through it. This is not something that comes easily; it takes practice and exercise. And don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and step out in faith on the Word of God and its commands and promises.

#walkwithme