“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” – Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)

All people have the ability to survive and resist difficult and traumatic circumstances, but only a small group come out stronger. Not only can people overcome, they may come out stronger; they may make it an experience of change that positively helps their life to be successful.

One wonders how a crisis can help, because in addition to producing resistance, the possibility is there to become something successful. This is called resilience, which is the quality of being able to adapt to difficult and traumatic situations in life and recover from those difficulties.

In this way, resilience is a response to tragedy, crises, or other life-altering changes, which allows you to move forward in spite of those events.

The question is: why do some not succeed and why is it that we see the crises destroying their lives?

In the Old Testament, there are excellent examples of resilient people, such as Job, who lost everything but his faith and belief that God was in control of him sustained him. This story shows four things that help build resilience.

  1. He kept his faith before those around him; friends and family, who came to comfort him. Although our environment may be bad, we must remain firm in our faith that God cares for us.
  2. He was faithful despite how his wife instructed him. She said, “Deny God;” he stood firm in what he believed. If you want your life to build resilience, affirm your faith and assurance that God is watching over you. Show your trust in Him, even if the situation is difficult and uncertain.
  3. He fought the negative influences of the time: People said, “If you are struggling, it is a punishment from God for having done something wrong.” Job did not accept that voice. Many of the negative influences prevent us from overcoming crises. Also the negative attitude from many often leads to the reality that people cannot survive them, because they think: “I cannot go on; life is very hard, I will never get out of this, my social condition does not allow me, etc.” Still others even reject God. Many of these attitudes keep them tied to the negative circumstances of life that impede resilience.
  4. Break with the cultural convictions that lead us to believe “things will go from bad to worse,” which is different when we trust God. He always has something better for us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28.

At the end of this crisis, we can be victorious, more secure and firm in our faith, because God has taken care of us. Our children will learn to come out of crises to become victorious people because the steps modeled for them are the foundations of resilience and “we will walk rooted, built on Him, and confirmed in the faith.”

May God help you in everything you undertake today.

Dr. Miguel and Irene Garita – Family Care Ministry, Mesoamerica Region.