Pithy fractals hold endless stores of wisdom for actual life The longer I’ve been a pastor and disciple, the more I’ve come to love, admire, and stand in awe of the wisdom literature. And part of that awe has come from appreciating the place of ‘wisdom’ — the Bible’s category of wisdom — in Christian resilience. …

Sure-footedness comes from being fully convinced — In 2 Timothy 4.5 Paul says to Timothy, ‘as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.’ And in Acts 14, Paul and Barnabus return to Antioch, ‘where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they…

Deep theology comes before shallow structures — While some argue that the way to ‘get’ resilience is to start with instituting structures, rhythms, and patterns into your life, I actually argue for the exact opposite. …

Resilience is profoundly tied to the humanity of Jesus — Resilience and the mystery of godliness Let’s consider this passage from 1 Timothy; a passage which can be perplexing on the surface of things: Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken…

The necessity of resilience Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Men in condition do not tire. -George Patton (WWII) In anything that matters, resilience trumps performance. This is the principle of sequencing, path dependence, or ergodicity. As Warren Buffet once said, ‘in order to win you have to first survive’…

Layers of theology — Here’s one summary: resilience is a function of being a ‘Son’ of God. Being a ‘Son’ means knowing at the core of my identity that my life is entirely generated and sustained by my Father. I am adopted into this Sonship by the blood of Jesus and the union of…

Resilience comes not from a re-ordering of our schedule but from a repeated re-ordering of our hearts — Consider this extended quotation from Zack Eswine’s book, Sensing Jesus: ‘…our problem goes far beyond our need to say no to activities and the need, however pleasant and helpful, to find more time for tea in our day, for we can learn to say no and can positively lighten our…

The foundation of resilience is exasperatingly, liberatingly, reassuringly simple — I believe that we need to accept that the foundation of resilience is exasperatingly, liberatingly, reassuringly simple: we are human beings. We are creatures. One thing which has been so profoundly helpful to me about Zach Eswine’s books has been his plain, honest, sustained, and reflective insistence that if we…

Consider this extended quotation from Zack Eswine’s book, Sensing Jesus: ‘…our problem goes far beyond our need to say no to activities and the need, however pleasant and helpful, to find more time for tea in our day, for we can learn to say no and can positively lighten our…