The Way of Resilience

“But he kept insisting, ‘If I have to die with You, I will never deny You.’ And they all said the same thing.” (Mark 14:31 CSB)

On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter, as predicted, denied Jesus three times. He was not alone in this, though. Actually, all of the disciples abandoned Jesus that night. They all insisted they never would do such a thing. But when the time came they demonstrated the truth of the old adage – talk is cheap.

Sometime later, as recorded in The Acts of the Apostles, we find these same men standing strong in their faith. They all suffered beatings and persecutions, and one (James) was even beheaded, but they did not run away. So, what was the difference?

Part of the difference is the resurrection of Jesus, which demonstrated the power of God. They watched Jesus suffer horribly and die on the cross. They then saw the resurrected Jesus on numerous occasions. This was the sovereignty and power of God at work.

Another part of the difference is the Holy Spirit, which demonstrated the presence of God. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and the Lord’s presence with them then provided the resource they needed to endure.

Before all of this happened, in other words, they relied on their own strength. Afterward, they relied on the strength that the Lord provided internally.

It is possible to rely on your own strength, ingenuities, creativities, and skills in your walk with God for a season at least, but those who do so inevitably run into a brick wall. Human limitations are what they are. We have great capabilities, but we also have great limitations. For a while, people can handle things and figure things out all right, at least until a crisis of resources surrounds them.

The better way to go, the way of resilience, is the way of the power of God and the presence of God. The power of the gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit is what enable us to not just endure but to actually overcome.

Father, Help us to take to heart today the truth that we will always do better by relying on Your resources than our own. Amen.