Posted: 26 March 2025

From a sermon given on 23 March 2025:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
(Philippians 4:8)

Resilience can be defined as the ability to withstand life's "hard knocks" and bounce back. In this life, challenges and setbacks will always be many. But the level of our mental stability will determine the outcome. What you "tell yourself" in your mind will either influence the situation positively or negatively.

What goes on in our minds during hard times determines whether we will emerge stronger or we will be swallowed up. Mental resilience can help you adapt to loss, failure and other life difficulties - and continue to thrive despite these challenges. If your are mentally positive and loaded with things that are true, things that are lovely, things that are of good report, things that are pure and those things that are praiseworthy then you will be surprised how fast you have recovered.

Mental resilience will help you enjoy lower levels of anxiety, stress and depression. But if you entertain a "not possible mentality", "I am good for nothing", "I am finished", Etc., then bouncing back will be a mirage! 85% of what we worry so much about never happens! People with mental resilience "have greater ambition, feel more hopeful and find it easier to maintain emotional stability" (Support for your mental health - healthline.com)

Further readings:

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
(Numbers 13:30-33)

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
(Joshua 1:6-9)

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
(Proverbs 24:10}