day 1385: Resilience

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”

I attended a graduation ceremony yesterday and the theme of one of the speaker was “Resilience”.  I woke this morning to read in the New York Times that the former Editor, Jill Abramson, spoke at Wake Forest on the same topic.  The speaker I saw runs a very successful theater organization that grants Masters of Fine Arts in Acting.  She is long-tenured and at the top of her game.  Jill Abramson, is recently unexpectedly fired from her job and trying to figure out what to do next.  Resilience is important in the best of times, and the worst of times. As both speakers highlighted, without resilience we end up going nowhere as we give up and let the forces that are beat us down and make us quit. It’s an interesting question to ask; “How much resilience does our organization and its people have?”  Cultures with great amounts of resilience can survive and thrive through the toughest of times.  Those without it, likely die.

It’s hard to think of any example of resilience greater than the life that Jesus led. None of us will ever face the negative forces of both Satan and humans that Jesus had to overcome.  He did all of this because on the back side, you and I would benefit.  Could it be that the secret to being resilient is being driven by love?  If we love Him with all that we have, then we will be able to stand up to all that the world will put on us. Today, we will be called on to be resilient.  I can’t say what it will be, but it will happen to all of us.  Will we be resilient in a Christ-like way?  With our calling upon him for strength, we can!

Reference:  Ephesians 6:13 (New Living Testament)