Resilience

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The resilient are those who have a few battle scars and have been through the rough stuff, but were not destroyed or defeated by it; they are made stronger. 

One of my biggest heroes in ministry is Dr. Heidi Baker. She is the modern-day Mother Teresa, in my opinion. I had the privilege to be disciplined under her leadership in Africa a few summers ago. During those 3 months, I realized that the whole land was being touched by God because of Mama Heidi’s dedication to serve Jesus wholeheartedly. She showed us how to live as selfless as we possibly could during this time. When I think about my time in Mozambique, just as rough as it was living there (with sticky red dirt everywhere and no running water), I remember the miracles that I got to witness on a daily basis. Prayer and healing came hand-in-hand. It was almost like I was living out the Bible in person.

Even in the most difficult of seasons, I am reminded that God has created us to be overcomers. We were not meant to walk through life without obstacles, but that does not mean that we are to endure troubles only. Difficulties are bound to arise every now and then. A smooth sail is never guaranteed and a bumpy road is somewhat expected along the journey. However, the journey is not the destination. You will make it to the destination as long as the focus is not taken off of it. Sometimes, when life throws us a curveball, our thoughts, worries, anxieties take over our minds to the point that every possible scenario has played out and determined that we are to remain in that cycle of terror. However, as children of God, we are more than conquerors, this means that we not only are equipped to take on the Goliath that we see but we are capable of even more! 

I will be the first to admit that I am the queen of overthinking and analyzing the improbable to the extreme of provoking panic. This thought process is difficult to break but not impossible. In order to overcome the idea of the worst-case scenario, recognize that you are above it. The Holy Spirit in you is actually greater than he who is in the world. So this means that we have inside of us the supernatural power to overcome the enemy and his evil schemes – especially the ability to resist him! You and I were built to overcome the world through Christ, not for us to be overcome by it. Psalm 46:10 states to, “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Mama Heidi would say, “If you do not give up, you win.” She would emphasize the power of tenacity and the weight of gentle patience in the midst of tremendous refute. Our fights do not always look like an actual David and Goliath situation but it sure does feel that way sometimes. David did not get overwhelmed by his competition. Instead, refusing the fancy armor, latest war equipment, and gear, he stuck to what he was familiar with: his trusty slingshot and faithful God who has come through for him every time in the field while shepherding. He knew this battle, though it looked different, required more faith than fight.

In the same way, our fights may look different this time around, the circumstances might have changed, and maybe even our equipment might need some polishing, but as long as we do not give up, we have already taken our first step towards victory. Giving in and giving up is the enemy’s scheme to get us to lose. The reality is that Jesus has already won and we are partakers of that victory. Therefore, let us stay strong, brave, and courageous. Know that we have a Faithful Father. There is nothing that can defeat you without your permission! We are warriors, victors and overcomers!

The Resilience Mantra:

I will not give in to sadness.

I will not let my thoughts control the way I feel.

I will never, ever give up.

I will stay positive and work on a solution.

My life is great with all the positive and negative things in it.

I allow myself to be happy no matter what.

I am enough and I am complete.