“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”
Hebrews 6:19
Who do you know that exemplifies resiliency?
The Chosen, an Angel Studios made for television drama series, portrays the life of Jesus as we imagine it might have been. In the midst of the ordinary elements of Jesus life is the extraordinary. One of the extraordinary dynamics of His life was His resolve. From the beginning, those who opposed His new kingdom narrative opposed Him. He was tempted, tested, despised, misunderstood, verbally abused, falsely accused, threatened, lied about, betrayed, denied, abandoned and was ultimately murdered. Scripture invites us to:
Remember Jesus, He endured all kinds of knock-down blows from all kinds of people who opposed Him, even while He went about doing good. Consider how He bounced-back, so you will not grow weary and lose heart failing to bounce back.”
Hebrews 12:3 [Paraphrase]
Resiliency is about much more than recovering from a knock down. It is about a lifestyle of resolve. For us who know Christ it is a life characterized by the discipline of abiding in Christ, of agreement with His promises and of living in alignment with His response pattern to all things that oppose. While hope is the beginning of a resilient life, resolve keeps us there.
The word anchor provides an important metaphor for resolve. Our lives, likened to a ship at sea facing uninvited raging storms that threaten to batter and worse to cause ship wreck, call for an anchor. We have such an anchor. Jesus’ job as our anchor is to keep us grounded, connected to what matters most;
to provide strength to cope with life’s pain, to give us time to come to terms with loss; to create stability when the fog of confusion stops us; to strengthen when fear stares us down; to help us recover and bounce forward. All that is required of us is to take hold of the anchor and let Him do His job.
Pray
Strong, steady, sure anchor! My Jesus, I confess my dependence on you. You are my hero. You exemplify resolve and empower me to live a life of resiliency. My resolve is to anchor my life to your ways. Amen!
Pass IT On…
If this mediation inspired you it may inspire others.