Christians Need Resilience

The church service in Luebeck on January 23 concentrated on the topic "Resilience" and the text in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 as the congregation marked the Enditnow Day with a sermon by Petra Lolk.
„But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed“ (2 Cor 4:7-9).
What does resilience mean for us Christians, what does it mean for us as a church?
Purely from the meaning of the word, we know that resilience means that we are able to overcome challenges and crises without breaking.
One thing is certain: faith needs resilience. In order to develop resilience we have to look to Jesus. Particularly during this pandemic, we need resilience in order to persevere.
We take courage in the words of the Bible:
„Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me“ (Psalm 23:4). “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)
Jesus asks us to have patience when we are in such difficult situations: „Have patience, trust me. I hear everything, I see everything, I have everything under control.“
We have many examples in the Bible of how God helped people to be resilient. Adam and Eve after the death of Abel, Jacob when he fought with the angel. Hellen Keller and the story of her resilience is a prime example of how to not give up in spite of staggering obstacles.