Resilience is the ability to recover after a crisis, a period of stress, or a major change. We need to be resilient because bad things happen in life, such as sickness, the death of a loved one, and other tragedies. Resilience is also required after being hurt by sin, whether it has been our own sin or that of others.

We find ourselves in situations that require resilience in different parts of our lives. Families will have problems. Jobs will have conflict and stress. Even in the church, unfaithful members and interpersonal disputes can arise. Fortunately, God assures Christians that He will help them through their problems.

Psalm 37:23-24 reads, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” Proverbs 24:16 says that “a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again,” but the wicked will fall permanently.

We see examples of faithful people who rebounded from severe tests in the Bible. Job suffered loss of possessions, health, and family, and his three friends were not helpful. He still held to the truth and was rewarded by God. David responded to the loss of his child, a death that his sin had caused, by worshiping the LORD and going on with life (2 Samuel 12:19-23).

The Bible shows us ways in which people commonly fail to be resilient. Some people fall apart under stress. Naomi almost languished in despair (Ruth 1:11-13), but would later be brought back to hope by the kindness of others such as Ruth and Boaz. A Christian in Corinth who had sinned and was trying to repent was being tempted to give in to severe sorrow (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).

Some people lash out at others when they are feeling grief. The Israelites in Egypt were excited about the message of God’s deliverance given through Moses at first, but, after Pharaoh had made the Israelites’ work harder, some of them turned on Moses and Aaron (4:29-31; 5:20-21). Those who falter in their faith may respond to crises by finding someone to attack in their sorrow, or panic. Anyone who seeks to cope with stress by attacking others should expect their problems to come back and get worse.

The Bible shows us how to be resilient, and God’s instructions go far beyond an optimistic attitude, though that can be helpful. In Philippians 4:10-13, Paul said that trust in Christ’s strength was key for learning how to be content. 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 teaches us that we need to trust in God’s word, God’s power, and God’s Spirit. We must count on Him to provide what we need as we act upon His commands. We also must understand, as in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, that we are not going to succeed by our own strength. God allows us to confront our weaknesses so that we may know His grace and power better.

Jesus is the perfect model. He demonstrated resilience as He overcame undeserved suffering in giving Himself as a sacrifice for us. He trusted and obeyed His Father as He persevered through rejection, persecution, and death. Only by being willing to follow Him can we expect to triumph over suffering with Him.