Resilience is probably one of my favourite character adjectives, one that illuminates fortitude and an unwavering image. However, I cannot claim my resilience as my own.
If I were to say, ‘100percent that I earnt and deserved my resilience on my own without any help’, I would be making a fool and a liar of myself. Because when I think like that, it weakens me into believing that the power to create resilience was of my own accord. That all the trials and tribulations I have gone through I went through by myself. However, that is simply not true. Because if I had gone through all the hard stuff on my own, surely I could go through all the future hard stuff on my own without any assistance.
I will gladly be the first to raise my hand, stand up and admit that my resilience is not because of me. It is only through God that I have been able to meet challenges with perspective, with hope, with courage and with grace. For when I meet challenges, I know that on my own, I cannot do it.
But with God, all things are possible, as is written in Matthew 19:26. The beauty of this verse is not in it saying you can deadlift 5 tonnes, but more about the fact that I can do things that are beyond others comprehension. Like being able to forgive my enemy fully and lovingly embracing them as a friend. Moving forward without dragging around past mistakes, and accepting others because God accepts me.
And when I feel like I cannot accept, cannot forgive, cannot move forward etc. When I am lacking, I go to the never-ending, abundant source of these precious strengths, God Almighty. God not only lovingly but eagerly provides me with the strengths that I need to overcome each challenge I face.
It is true what is said in Philippians 4:13, that truly I can do all things, but only THROUGH God who gives me strength. We all face challenges, personally and publicly, seemingly insignificant and life-altering. However, by holding onto God through each wave of life, we can be made resilient because of who we have been through each experience with, GOD.
WRITER: Amber Melhuish, attends Mt Gravatt SDA Church.