Resilient Faith

rwh26april Ep.361 – Run With Horses Podcast – Resilient Faith

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Author pages with links to all books on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith

 

Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is simple in many ways, but potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to grow, to live intentionally and to join in His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together!

Thank you for joining me today! “If you’re new here, you can check out past episodes at runwithhorses.net. As always, I appreciate your feedback, questions, and reviews!”

Resilience is the ability to withstand, recover and even thrive in the midst of life's challenges while trusting God to accomplish His work. Resilience is really about our Faith. It is the strength and endurance to keep pressing forward in the face of adversity, maintaining faith in God's sovereignty and goodness. Resilience is not simply about surviving difficulty, but about growing spiritually and becoming more Christ-like in the process.

Biblical Understanding of Resilience

1. Patience Matures Our Faith: James 1:2-4 See trials as opportunities for spiritual growth:

   Resilience is tied to patience developed through trials. Instead of letting trials break us, we allow them to refine and mature our faith, making us more like Jesus.

2. God’s Strength in Our Weakness: The Apostle Paul exemplifies resilience in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

   Resilience in the Christian life is not about our own strength, but about relying on God’s strength. Our weakness becomes the vehicle for God's power to work through us, glorifying God and accomplishing His Will.

3. Imitate Christ's Example: Hebrews 12:1-2, Follow Jesus' example of enduring the cross, all for the joy set before Him:

   Jesus endured because He had an eternal perspective. Resilience, for the follower of Christ, involves fixing our eyes on the hope and reward that await us in eternity. Tis life is the journey that God uses to prepare us for eternity with Him.

4. Trusting God’s Promises Leads to Hope: Romans 5:3-5 :

   Hope is really important when we face challenges. And there is always Hope in Jesus! Trials refine our character and deepen our relationship with God. Knowing Him and His purposes, ultimately makes us more resilient in our Journey of Faith.

Resilience and Discipleship

In the life of a believer, resilience is directly connected to discipleship and spiritual growth. Discipleship is not just about learning doctrine or performing religious duties; it is about becoming more like Jesus. As we endure trials with faith and patience, we grow in spiritual maturity and learn to depend on God more fully.

• Resilience Shapes Character: As we persevere through challenges, our character is refined, and we learn to love, trust, and obey God more fully. Romans 5:3-5 shows that tribulation produces perseverance, which leads to stronger character and unshakable hope.

• Resilience Cultivates Faithfulness: Discipleship is about the journey of following God daily in every circumstances. 1 Peter 1:6-7 reminds us that our faith is tested, and once proven, brings glory to God:

  As we remain faithful under trial, we demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. This faith, Real, tested and proven, will bring glory to God.

• Spiritual Growth Through Trials: The process of growing as a disciple requires us to be resilient. Trials are the training ground for spiritual maturity if you are a disciple of Jesus. He never promised an easy path!

• But He promises that it would be worth it in the end.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Resilience

The Holy Spirit is integral to developing resilience. Romans 8:11 speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit to give life and strength to believers:

The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead enables believers to live with endurance, overcoming obstacles and remaining faithful in trials. Prayer and trusting God to work when our strength is gone are both Key for developing the abiity to get up every time life knocks you down.

Resilience Keeps You On The Path To Christ-likeness

As we endure hardship, we grow in patience, character, and hope, which ultimately leads to greater spiritual m