RESILIENCE

Lesson 8 for February 19, 2011

 RESILIENCE?
WHAT IS
• Resilience is the ability of people to overcome emotional pain psychology
In
to go on with his/her life.
In ecology
• Resilience is the ability of a community to bear disturbances.
• Resilience is the property of a material to absorb energy when engineering
it is deformed elastically and then, upon unloading to have In
this energy recovered.
 This week we studied the story of some biblical characters
that faced adversity and overcame their problems thanks to
divine help, despite having an imperfect character.

“Despite severe trauma, even serious or most common mishaps, resilience seems like an
existential confirmed by many paths and stories of successful life. In fact, for our meetings and
reading professional contacts, we all know children, adolescents , families and communities
that "fit" shocks, testing and breaks and beats and still unfolding and living, often at a higher
level-as if the trauma and assumed had developed in them, sometimes revealed even latent
resources even unsuspected". Michel Manciaux, Resilience: myth or reality?
JOB Difficulty
Difficulty
He
Helost
losthis
hisgoods
goodsand
andhis
hischildren
childrenininonly
onlyone
oneday.
day.
He was rejected and he contracted a serious
He was rejected and he contracted a serious skin skin
illness.
illness.
Reason
Reason
He
Hewas
wasaavictim
victimof
ofthe
thecosmic
cosmicconflict
conflictbetween
between
Christ
Christand
andSatan.
Satan.
Response
Response
Even
Evenwhen
whenhe hedidn’t
didn’tunderstand
understandwhat
whatwas
wasgoing
going
on,
on,he
hebore
borethat
thattrial
trialwith
withpatience.
patience.Job
Jobknew
knew
that
thatGod
Godisismerciful
mercifuland
andrighteous,
righteous,so
sohe
henever
never
lost
losthis
hisfaith
faithon
onHim
Him(Job,
(Job,19:
19:25)
25)
Result
Result
He
Heovercame
overcamethat
thattrial,
trial,his
hisfaith
faithincreased,
increased,hehe
understood
understoodGod
Godbetter
betterandandhis
hislast
lastcondition
conditionwas
was
better
betterthan
thanthe
thefirst
firstone.
one.
 JOSEPH
Difficulty
Difficulty
He
Helost
losthis
hisfamily
familyand
andhis
hisfreedom
freedomininnext
nextto
tono
no
time.
time.When
Whenhe heseemed
seemedto torecover
recoverhe
hewas
wassent
sent
to
tojail
jailbeing
beinginnocent.
innocent.
Reason
Reason
He
Hewas
washated
hatedby
byhis
hisbrothers
brothersand
andbybyPotiphar’s
Potiphar’s
wife
wifebecause
becauseof
ofhis
hisright
rightcharacter.
character.
Response
Response
He
Hecompletely
completelysurrender
surrenderto
toGod
Godand
andtook
tookthe
the
firm
firmdecision
decisionof
ofserving
servingHim
Himwhatever
whatever
happened.
happened.He Heplaced
placedGod
Godininthe
thefirst
firstplace.
place.
Result
Result
He
Heovercame
overcamethat
thattrial,
trial,he
helearnt
learntto
toforgive
forgivethose
those
who
whoharmed
harmedhimhimand
andhe heunderstood
understoodhowhowGodGod
used
usedhim
himto
tobenefit
benefitHis
Hispeople.
people.
NAOMI
Difficulty
Difficulty
She
Sheimmigrated
immigratedto toaaforeign
foreigncountry;
country;
she
she suffered necessity and theloss
suffered necessity and the lossof
ofher
her
husband
husbandand
andher
herchildren.
children.
Reason
Reason
AAfamine
famineininIsrael
Israeland
andthe
thelack
lackof
of
confidence
confidenceinindivine
divineprotection.
protection.The
Thedeath
death
of
ofher
herhusband
husbandandandher
herchildren
childrenincreased
increased
her
herhelplessness.
helplessness.
Response
Response
Desperation.
Desperation.Her
Herdaughter-in-law
daughter-in-lawRuth
Ruth
(whom
(whomsheshetaught
taughttotobelieve
believeininGod)
God)was
was
an
animportant
importantsupport,
support,helping
helpingherherto
tostand
stand
firm in every situation.
firm in every situation.
Result
Result
She
Shefound
foundhappiness
happinesswith
withher
hernew
newfamily
family
(Ruth, Boaz and Obed)
(Ruth, Boaz and Obed)
 ESTHER
Difficulty
Difficulty
She
Shewas
wasan
anorphan
orphanand
andshe
shebelonged
belongedto
toan
an
ethnic
ethnicminority.
minority.AAdecree
decreethreatened
threatenedto
tokill
killher
her
people.
people.
Reason
Reason
She
Shewas
wasaavictim
victimof
ofthe
thexenophobic
xenophobichate
hateofof
Haman
Hamanagainst
againstthe
theJews
Jewsbecause
becauseof
ofher
hercousin
cousin
Mordecai.
Mordecai.
Response
Response
She
Shedidn’t
didn’twant
wanttotoget
getinvolve
involveat
atthe
thebeginning,
beginning,
bat
batthen
thenshe
shetook
tookthe
thefirm
firmdecision
decisionofoftalking
talking
to
tothe
theking
king(after
(aftersome
sometime
timeof
ofprayer
prayerand
and
fasting)
fasting)no
nomatter
matterwhat
whatcould
couldhappen.
happen.
Result
Result
She
Shewas
wasnever
neverhesitant
hesitantagain
againand
andshe
she
understood
understoodthe
theimportance
importanceofofcommitting
committing
oneself
oneselfto
toGod’s
God’swork.
work.
PAUL
Difficulty
Difficulty
He
Hewas
wasflogged,
flogged,shipwrecked
shipwreckedininthetheopen
opensea,
sea,inindanger
danger
from
fromrivers,
rivers,inindanger
dangerfrom
frombandits,
bandits,inindanger
dangerfrom
fromthe
the
Jews,
Jews,inindanger
dangerfromfromthe
theGentiles,
Gentiles,inindanger
dangerfrom
fromfalse
false
brothers.
brothers.HeHesuffered
sufferedefforts,
efforts,fatigues,
fatigues,sleeplessness,
sleeplessness,
hunger,
hunger,thirst,
thirst,fasting,
fasting,cold
coldand
andnakedness;
nakedness;he hewas
wasworried
worried
for
forabout
aboutallallthe
thechurches...
churches...(2(2Corinthians,
Corinthians,11:
11:23-28)
23-28)
Reason
Reason
Preaching
Preachingthe
theGospel.
Gospel.
Response
Response
He
Hewas
wascontent
contentwith
withwhat
whathehehad.
had.HeHesuffered
sufferedeverything
everything
because
becausehe
heloved
lovedGod,
God,“so
“sothat
thatby
byall
allpossible
possiblemeans
meansI I
might
mightsave
savesome”
some”(1(1Corinthians,
Corinthians,9:9:22)
22)
Result
Result
The
TheGospel
Gospelwaswaspreached
preachedto tothe
thewhole
wholeknown
knownworld.
world.Paul
Paul
learnt
learntto
totrust
trustGod
Godininevery
everysituation.
situation.“I“Ican
cando
doall
allthings
things
through
throughChrist
Christwho
whostrengthens
strengthensme”
me”(Philippians,
(Philippians,4:4:13)
13)
 Through the stories of those five characters, we learn that...

The cosmic conflict between good

and evil
Totally trusting God

A bad reaction of someone to our

Making an obedience deal with God
se o f

testimony
becau

We de
Our own mistakes and/or negative
Being helped by other people
happenings in life that affect us
suffer

velop
The hate of some people against
Prayer and fasting
Christianity
ay

resilie
ver m

Being content with what we have.

Spreading the Gospel
Loving the Gospel and spreading it

nce b
A belie

y
“Into the experience of all there come times of keen disappointment and utter discouragement –
days when sorrow is the portion, and it is hard to believe that God is still the kind benefactor of
His earth-born children; days when troubles harass the soul, till death seems preferable to life. It
is then that many lose their hold on God and are brought into the slavery of doubt, the bondage of
unbelief. Could we at such times discern with spiritual insight the meaning of God’s providences,
we should see angels seeking to save us from ourselves, striving to plant our feet upon a
foundation more firm than the everlasting hills; and new faith, new life, would spring into
being.”
E.G.W. (My life today, November 20)