Dwight Fletcher | Tis the season for resilience

THIS IS a very interesting time in the history of the world. Life, in general, has never been this good. I know that statement might shock or offend you, but hear me out. The technology that exists today has made our lives easier than they have ever been. We are living in the era where self-driving cars will soon become commonplace; where a cell phone can do almost anything; where the internet has made access to both knowledge and resources more available than ever before, and don’t even get me started on AI.

Then, on an individual note, there is an overprotection of individual rights. For the first time in history, the rights of the individual are beginning to trump the rights of the majority. Instead of a focus on the society’s health at large, the feelings and preferences of the individual are the driving force behind major decisions. ‘Your truth’ is now more important than the truth.

Added to that, we live in a time where comfort is considered a right, rather than a luxury. We’re all trying to make life as painless as possible. Parents try to make life easier for their children. Companies sell products intended to take all the effort out of doing tasks. Politicians run on campaigns designed to appease their party. Everything, from our food to our entertainment, must be fast and easily accessible.

But the research is now showing that this has resulted in a problem that no one saw coming – all this progress is making us less resilient. To understand resilience, consider an elastic band. It can stretch for a while but will still spring back into shape. You can use that elastic band for an entire day and it would still bounce back. However, there is always the risk that if you pull too hard, too long or too far and the elastic band will break.

Resilience is the degree to which we can be stretched, but still recover. It is our ability to withstand adversity, stress, hardship or pain without breaking. And in this holiday season, it’s more important than ever that we grow in resilience.

We’ve been dealt hard blows this year. It has been uncomfortable, distressing, painful and more. There are many of us who struggle to find a reason to celebrate, or be joyful these days. Instead of being filled with Christmas cheer, we’re bombarded with heartbreaking reminders, grief, sorrow and hopelessness. In order to withstand, we need resilience.

When I think of the people who are most admirable, the resilient always come to mind. All of them have fought through life to be where they are and who they were called to be.

As life has gotten easier, it has caused us to no longer expect hardship. It surprises us, challenges us, and frustrates us. This is affecting us on multiple levels. Lack of resilience weakens our faith and so we’re easily swayed in our beliefs. It erodes our integrity, causing us to make poor decisions when we experience external pressure. It brings depression, anxiety and a growing number of other issues.

But the regular ebbs and flow of life will continually confront us with change and loss. In fact, the Bible promises that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). This is the season to learn how to handle the trouble we will face. Instead of coping with unhealthy habits, becoming overwhelmed to the point of disaster, withdrawing in depression or disassociating from your experiences, I want us to uncover true resilience.

Jesus came into this world to bring us hope that can withstand the darkness of suffering. He is our reason for resilience. So, join me on this journey this Christmas. Let’s rediscover resilience as we focus on our hope in Jesus.