Importance of God's people teaching others resilience

Odd title, I know. What is resilience, why is it needed, and why must the body of Christ work harder to build it in those outside the church?

Don't worry, this won't be twenty pages, despite the resemblance to the first paragraph of a term paper. Parts of this post will be on another blog I do, though, which I mention in case parts seems familiar.

 Why is resilience important?

An object's resilience is its elasticity. In people, it's the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. However, it is important to do this in a constructive way. People should realize God loves them just as He loves everyone, for God is love, and if they know Him personally He will always be there for them. They should also recognize other people matter because God loves them, too.

Building it is what James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and other passages teach. In functional homes where people follow the Lord, that's pretty easy, though with some easier than others. Everyone has different levels because we're all built differently - not everyone has the resilience to survive a foreign mission field (though we are all called to be missionaries where we are), for instance, and some who can handle one field couldn't handle another.

And yet, people often don't realize how much they can do unless they step out In faith. That's part of why it's vital to follow God's plan for our lives. He knows us better than we do ourselves. If David had never stepped out and killed the lion and bear attacking the sheep, he never would have developed the courage and faith to slay Goliath. And yet, some people wouldn't have been able to even kill a lion or bear. It's not a bad thing if a person can't, they are just different parts of the body of Christ, just as the nose is important but you wouldn't use it to lift things. 

(To type if need be, yes - that is not it's normal use, but the notion is part of resilience. Little kids who try may just seem silly, but God is using such fun to help build resilience, becasue they learn how to improvise, that just because they might lack something doesn't mean God can't use them.)

"Okay," you may say, "people need resilience, and the Bible shows how to have it." But, I didn't write all that just to remind some people of a word they may not have used since high school, did I?

No. There is a severe lack of resilience in some areas, and we must work extra hard to build it in people from there if we are to fulfill God's calling to reach and minister to others.

We must be resource for those who lack it

Not everyone has well-functioning families where everyone is Christlike, where all behave in a Godly way, or at least try to show Christlike traits. To some people you may be the only example of Jesus Christ they will ever see.

Therefore, it's vital to start slowly and help them to realize that God loves them by showing that love, compassion, positive attention, etc. - after all, some people have no clue how to be gentle, for instance, unless someone shares it with them.

Our ministry saw a kid who we hope had been saved - and part of our ministry - for several years who finally start going to church late last year. (Update - he's had more problems, please pray for him and that he has heart knowledge and not just head knowledge of salvation.) He had been saved, and he's had great enthusiasm, but his home life - with people who also lacked resilience - has meant that he needed to be around people who were going to model Christlike behavior, giving him positive attention, encouragement, etc. that he needed. Merely sitting in a church service wasn't going to help him. (The fact we didn't have a ministry van for 2.5 years also hurt.) And, while a Bible study with our founder and his wife is helping one adult in the family, even that is a very slow process because of years of turmoil.

He wasn't as bad off as some people, of course. Some people think that they have no hope. The lack of respect for human life is evident in places like New Orleans, for example. It is not a political problem, because rules can't solve the problem of peoples' attitudes. It is a heart problem. Albert Einstein, speaking in the late 1940s, considered the massive destructive power of the atomic bomb, for instance, and said, "I know not what weapons we will fight World War 3 with, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."

In other words, mankind would bounce back - resilience - but even the most brutal weapons - designed to wipe out entire civilizations and take the tech level back to the Stone Age - would not teach people to avoid warfare.

So, clearly, there is a need for Godly resilience, the kind that lets people draw closer to God - like in that individual Bible study - instead of always reacting in the flesh.

God offers hope that the world doesn't

I mentioned earlier that God's system is the right way - it respects people more than peoples' systems, since mankind's is imperfect. Many will point to the war quote and say that we have always had people that don't care about life, that increase the destructiveness of things. While that is true, the increasing number of people who feel there is no hope is sad and alarming.

This feeling stems from a focus only on this life. When one doesn't feel that one has any purpose, it becomes easier for them to decide that nothing matters. That is when they will decide to simply react and use their instincts more and more instead of using faith - and, as those verses mentioned earlier show, faith, patience, and so on are things that need to be built over time. It is rare - though it does happen - when a person has an incredible amount of faith and courage right away.

This world tears us down and tries to make us think there is no hope. However, the opposite is true. Resilience doesn't have to mean just reacting. It should be relying more and more on God to help one overcome difficulties.

Build Godly resilience in others

Each person matters; each person is important. God cares about each of us more than we can imagine. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.(Ps.139:14)
 

Of course, simply being told that is not always good enough. A person needs a reason to keep going. Hopefully, this will help give some ideas as to how to encourage people to do that.

 First, get to know people, earn their trust (which in itself can be very hard at times), and be that kind, caring person they need. Be willing to conduct individual Bible studies with someone, or with a few people. Discovery Bible studies, for instance, help to stimulate conversation and bring the person closer to the Lord, and while it isn't quite the one-on-one mentoring mentioned above, it is good for helping to foster community. Although, it should be noted that it can be harder in the cities because of a lack of community at times; this is one reason why that friendship needs to be built up over time sometimes. People there are often lonelier.

One of our shows interviewing someone in such a situation is #114 here, too. (Edit: Part 2, as show #117, is now up, too.)

of course, that sense of community is needed everywhere, as I discussed here in the need for constant contact people seem to have, a need that can be fulfilled with a relationship with Christ.

That relationship with Jesus Christ is the key, of course. We can't solve all of a person's problems, but God can, even if all He can do is give the person peace and stability so they can be more resilient in the difficult place they are in life. Here is a great page explaining further how we are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God. And, that He came in flesh, Jesus Christ is God in flesh and died to take the punishment we each deserved for our sins., and then He rose from the dead. And, all one must do is call on Jesus Christ by faith to save them and forgive them, turning from their sins and letting Him make them new inside. We won't be perfect here on Earth, but He will work in us bit by bit each day. See show #91 on sanctification and others at our website's radio page. Other shows will also help.

As a parachurch ministry, our original purpose was to come alongside churches and help with things like Bible quizzing, evangelistic rallies, and so on, while directing youth toward Gospel preaching churches. Nowadays, that has changed a little, but that is because we are starting over in some respects with the new minivan.

Greater Canton Youthquake can still be great in the body of Christ by helping our inner-city youth to have that resilience that they need. However, to do that we need help. No, don't worry, I'm not asking for donations with this post :-) (Though our site does show how.)  We need people like you to pray and - if you are in the area - perhaps even serve.

Even if you're not in our area, you can still do great things in your area to promote that resilience. In fact, contact us and we will help you learn how to set up a Youthquake club of your own, as long as you abide by our statement of faith.

 Wherever you serve the Lord, though, remember that some people are really hurting. We need to come alongside others and help and guide them so they see the love of God and realize how much He cares. We need to be that caring parent that they never had. We need to have those Bible studies with them. We need to do all those little things with them sometimes so they can do as Ephesians 6:11-18 teaches about the full armor of God.

The Bible tells us that, in the end, we should be able to put it on so that we - having done all - can stand. It's just that some can't stand on their own. Oh, sure, we all need to rely on God to stand, we can't do it ourselves. But, when a person doesn't know how, we need to come alongside them and help them to know how to stand with God.

Constant contact with no need for constant texting/tweeting/Facebooking

The last post was topical. While it won't air till September, you can hear our show on the Iran nuclear deal and Ezekiel 38-39 here as well as all our shows on the radio page at gcyouthquake.org.

I was pondering the incredible size of Facebook and Twitter recently, along with how people seem glued to their phones while texting. And, I got to thinking. It may not be a mere fact caused by our global society, but a symptom of something else.

While I'm sure we're not the first to suggest this, please let us take a moment to explain, and to share how to have a wonderful bond that will never break. With it, whether this desire for constant contact - yet at a distance - is a symptom or not, our young people today can feel peace and assurance that will never end.

Society at breakneck speed

The first person to say, "Stop the world, I want off" wasn't born in the 21st century or probably even the 20th. It might have been when railroads began to connect faraway places, or when news that took days to arrive could suddenly reach one instantly by telegraph. It may have been before then, in fact.

Whenever it was,the pace of life has only sped up since. This leads to a couple of things which may be causing the intense increase in focus on computer screens(personal computer and cell phone ones) as opposed to normal bonding.

One is the vast amount of information available. It can be overwhelming at times, to the point Daniel prophesied 2,500 years ago something which is no doubt true today - "Many shall go to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."(Dan.12:4) That "going to and fro" implies a constant flitting about like a hummingbird with a caffeine rush, going from place to place at a ridiculous pace. The increase in knowledge implies a continual increase, exponential growth in fact. This is certainly true today, with what we know doubling every 22 months a few years ago and less now.(Not that we're saying we're real close to the end - Dr. H.A. Ironside was saying the same thing about the last days decades ago.)

(It should be noted a secondary meaning concerns understanding the Book of Daniel itself and Jesus as Messiah. It's important to always interpret Scripture with Scripture to understand it, and also when in doubt to go to the original languages of the  Greek and Hebrew; the quote is from the King James Version, from the  Antiochan Texts. Here is a good example of how not doing so hides the richness of God's Word in the different lessons which may be drawn from it.)

This vast amount of information available means people are constantly trying to use it - Googling anything from directions when lost to the lyrics of that song that's on the tip of your tongue to what that thing on the New Orleans Saints helmets is.(Fleur de lis, a French royal symbol, so you don't get interrupted looking for it.)

It also allows others to provide "information" themselves by posting it, so anyone can share their favorite recipe with the world, announce a special event, or just let people see that cute picture of their puppy carrying a baseball-shaped salt shaker and trying to get you to throw it for him.

Society losing richness, depth of relationships

The second problem is that this constant movement and increase in information can lead to overload, but also to the problem of relationships not being as deep as possible. This is just as significant, in a different sense, as the point about how much trouble one can get in posting the wrong things online.

It's a problem because centuries, even decades, ago we humans valued close, personal relationships. We were meant for such things, in fact.

I(Doug) have trouble reading nonverbal expressions due to a few handicaps - a nod to me is just "yes" for instance, and I can't discern between what I've heard are numerous types. While that and a few other little things may be due to my brain processing things a bit differently, for quite a few young people it seems they enjoy internet communication more than talking.

There may be other reasons, but mostly, they don't feel a closeness to others because they are, in some sense, too wary because things seem to come and go so often, but also, trying to interpret the depth of things is so difficult at times because they are hit with so many other things. They feel an intense amount of pressure to do so much that they are, in a sense, backing away by having only computer contact. This problem of depth perception, one might call it, also leads to problems with understanding things such as privacy and what should be posted online, in fact.

Jesus provides a calming, loving answer

The wonderful thing is that God provides an answer for every situation - and, His Word will give you security even in the most troublesome times.

Jesus bears our burden for more than just sin, though with only a 30 minute show it's understandable that was the majority of our focus in that one. He wants to help everyone, and in fact, he'll provide constant contact just like an online situation, except His love is so much deeper. That's the reason He promised that the Holy Spirit would come and live in each believer, in fact.

If you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can pray anywhere, anytime, about anything. It doesn't have to be really fancy wording. It's just sharing your heart with God. That might feel hard for some people - which could be another reason some prefer online communication so they don't have to share what may be very painful memories and intense feelings. But, the key is, God knows what we need - he just wants us to be humble and willing to admit we need His help. That's why we pray when He knows our needs. If we don't pray for something we are saying, "I can do this myself."

The problem is, we are powerless against the spiritual warfare that is out there combating us, and we need His help. tThose intense feelings that you might have, those can be shared with God and He will give you strength to cope, He'll give you a strategy for making things better, and so on. Maybe you can't save the world but you can save one person, for instance. Maybe you can be the spiritual leader for someone else and it will take your mind off your own circumstances, and let you focus on the positive - that relationship with God who will see you through everything.

There is so much turmoil out there because of modern life, we need Jesus more than ever.

He will be the answer when you ask how to get through something; He may not heal all your physical ailments (I've had numerous handicaps since birth) but He will heal you spiritually. He is also the answer when you want a friend who will be there forever.

Jesus  called His disciples friends

Yes, He called them friends, and will call you friend, too.

This does *not* mean you can just ignore who He is - He is the sinless, holy, all-powerful, etc. Creator of the Universe. he must be approached with respect and reverence, but at the same time, He is willing to hear that prayer for a puppy or kitten that is hurt, all the way up to a scary battle with cancer you or a loved one face, or anything in between.

And, He will be beside you all the time. He will live in you through the Holy Spirit. Each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentance to Jesus Christ away from eternal life, but that eternal life begins at the moment you trust Him to save you by calling on Him by simple faith to do so, believing He took all the punishment for your sins when he died and rose from the dead.

That constant contact with the Creator of the Universe is possible only because of His amazing grace, not anything we have done or could do. Once it's received, then of course like any relationship communication is key, but that will be so easy. You can share your deepest thoughts with Him and know He will never leave you or forsake you. You can read His Word and He'll speak to you, you can hear His still, small voice through the Spirit, and many other things I don't have time to get into. Just remember, anything you take in must agree with His Word, or it can't be from Him.

So, I pray you will use this chance while we are in the Age of Grace to develop that relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants to have a relationship with you. Indeed, His love for you is far beyond anything mankind could imagine, even the people of a century ago who constantly had those much deeper relationships.