Resilient: Purpose
APA Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress
What is God’s unique perspective on building resilience?
People create giant sized boxes that will never be filled
Our stress response is permanently dialed up
The Lord was with him
Isaiah 41:10 do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
“When try and remove the risks in our lives, we focus on removing the danger. And we become caged Christians.” Mark Batterson
What else is God’s unique message to us on resilience?
Gen. 39:2-4 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
Gen. 39:20-23 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Joseph served God where he was
Gen. 41:15-16 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
Joseph served God where he was with vision and excellence
Col. 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. Martin Luther King
Joseph served God where he was with vision and excellence
If people had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with “normal life”. Life has never been normal. C.S. Lewis
God has a purpose for you now
Resilient people are very careful on what they put their attention on. They focus their attention on the things they can change, not on the things they can not
Can I change this?
How can I serve God in prison?
Be amazing where you are, now
Starts with Vision – ask God
Phil. 3:13-14 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Gen. 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
How can I serve God in prison?
Lead me to be amazing where I am.
Resilience – Purpose
Huge amount of feedback on the beginning of this series Huge Need!!
Resilience: CBC serries, How to build resilience when there is no end in sight?
APA Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress
The articles are many and there suggestions to build resilience are legion.
Join a group, go for a walk, practice mindfulness, eat well, be proactive, keep things in perspective, accept change, be hopeful, learn from past – each is momentous
All this is great but when Hope is beaten out of you and you have emotional damage, and getting out of bed should receive a medal of honor
Self help Is not so helpful when you have no energy in your self
What is God’s unique perspective on building resilience?
Last week we did two things: Reset of expectations – Life is Hard God is Good
People create giant sized boxes that will never be filled
Warm coke in Poland
Life is fundamentally difficult – Our story talks about fallen world, a war zone
Also talked about Coaching Trainer – Safety: Protecting, Fear, Fog, Freeze
5/1 we are hard wired for safety – God did this: Rainbow vs. Tiger
Appropriate levels of fear. Healthy to teach our children while crossing road
Negative emotions of Fear/FOG stick like burs on a walk in meadow Overwhelm
News media, Social media has bombarded us with threats all day long BE FEARFUL
Added to the already daily pummeling (Who died? Planet? Riots? Asteroid?)
Fight/Flight Adrenal glands exhausted (Scotty in Star Trek – I’m given it all I’ve got
Our stress response is permanently dialed up
Last week looked at unique perspective from God. Joseph The Lord was with him
Simple but not simplistic. The answer to Fear is Recognizing his Presence, Inviting his Presence, Calling on it, His resources, He whisper
Linked all through scripture…
Isaiah 41:10 do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
My flight after the bad one. Two Jamaican Christians
If we thank him, ask to experience his presence, ask for help, strength
Not just covid fears: Fear to be bold!! Pray for someone, Church, Jesus
God’s power is available for all kinds of fears.
“When try and remove the risks in our lives, we focus on removing the danger. And we become caged Christians.” Mark Batterson
We are meant to be dangerous. The World should be shaking because those who bear God’s light and presence are striding into a dark world. Fearless
What else is God’s unique message to us on resilience?
Gen. 39:2-4 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
Joseph found himself a slave. No rights, No pay, No property, No future
Reactions? Escape? Work against master? Angry? Bitterness? Despondent?
Success, always Partnership with Lord. Joseph worked with God
Gen. 39:20-23 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Joseph was a slave with no hope for future age 17-30 (some say best years?)
Yet Joseph served God where he was
Pharoah had two dreams (dreams confirmed) 7 cows, 7 heads of grain
Gen. 41:15-16 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
See how he was a believer in God even though separated from family 13 years
Poorly treated by the very God believers. “I was poorly treated by a Christian”
Joseph served God where he was with vision and excellence
Problem: There was going to be bumper crops for 7 years then famine for 7
Joseph now was placed in a position to fix the problem. Made Pharoah Rich
Why would he serve the Pharoah so well!
Horrible situations: Victimized Slave (made his master successful): Unjustly accused prisoner (made the jailer successful): Talked to ungodly king of a ungodly nation (made the Pharoah successful)
I believe Joseph was serving the Lord and not Pharaoh
Col. 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Martin Luther King Jun. speaking to his oppressed people
If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. Martin Luther King
Joseph served God where he was with vision and excellence
Coaching Trainer: Purpose Vision, Hope/Passion, Clarity, Energy
Do you believe that God has a purpose for you right now in the middle of trouble? Not when pandemic over. Not when you graduate. Not when you get married.
Not when you get a fulltime job. Not when you are financially secure. Not better
C.S. Lewis Learning in War – why bother learning while at war
The war creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice. Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If people had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun. We are mistaken when we compare war with “normal
life”. Life has never been normal. C.S. Lewis
Don’t wait for normal life… Pursue God’s purposes in you now!
God has a purpose for you now
Once you lock into that purpose, vision, hope: clarity and energy
Resilient people are very careful on what they put their attention on. They focus their attention on the things they can change, not on the things they can not
Two questions… Can I change this?
If you can’t change the situation, it is called worry and we pray in the face of worry. Turn it off. Put it away. Stop responding to. Unfollow.
How can I serve God in prison?
Joseph: I can’t change the circumstances. I won’t give up, how can I be excellent now. Be amazing where you are, now
Starts with Vision – ask God Joseph’s journey started with a vision
Jon’s restaurant is closed – this is great! I get to spend more time with my kids!!
I hate the lockdowns, Online only! But it has propelled us to online. Reach more
Phil. 3:13-14 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
At the end of Joseph’s story, the brothers are standing there – Ones who murder
Gen. 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
The word “intended” – Worked like artists forming Cherubim in tabernacle
I was in prison, but God and I in partnership turned that around and saw great good
God give me a vision of what you want me to do now. Encourage? Person, group?
Give money to? Help in a ministry in our church or outside?
How can I serve God in prison?
Lead me to be amazing where I am.
Roommate a great guitarist (he had it on a stand)
A lost of ordinary days adding up to an extra ordinary
