Do you feel like life has zapped your resilience and stretched you to your limit? Lynn Simpson, our guest, is here to offer you some hope. Her heartfelt experience of parenting three children under challenging circumstances gives Lynn a unique insight into how to embrace God’s strength so you don’t run out of resilience.
How to Embrace God’s Strength, So You Don’t Run Out of Resilience
Written by Lynn Simpson
Mentally exhausted. At 7 am. Once my children were safe in the hands of the daycare providers, I drove to work, thankful for our brains “autopilot” abilities. Another morning of defiant behavior from my special needs son and the sibling rivalry between my two girls had left me wondering if I could take another day. I considered taking the highway as I had once before, driving an hour from the city edges before my sensibility sprung back. This was my life. And the lives of three that God placed in my care. How could I build up the resilience to carry on?
What is Resilience?
Maree Dee calls resilience “as the ability to persevere and remain strong in the face of adversity.” Developing resilience quickens our turn-around from discouragement to fulfillment. Our ability to spring back from despair to hope tightens into shape like a released elastic.
But what can happen when we try to build resilience on our own? We can end up discouraged and in despair, stretched to our emotional limit. All our striving to fix our struggles and all our efforts to change our situation can deplete our strength and leave us weak to schemes that pull us into sin. So how can we persevere? By embracing God’s strength, so we don’t run out of resilience.
How to Embrace God’s Strength
1. Embrace God’s Love
Embracing God’s love for us that reaches the depth of our discouragement and despair turns our hearts back to His immeasurable care. We are never alone in our struggles. His love for us is wide and high and deep!
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together, with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3: 17-19 NIV
2. Embrace God’s Word
Embracing God’s word fixes our eyes on Jesus rather than our circumstances. When we fix our eyes on our circumstances rather than God, we can fall into distractions that may help us feel good in the moment but then leave us feeling empty, leading us to sin and possibly addictions. By persevering in God’s word, we build endurance and strength because we learn more of God’s goodness. We are encouraged by others before us who have run their race, persevering through difficult circumstances on God’s strength.
“Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you take a stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6: 10-11 NIV)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12: 1-2 NIV)
3. Embrace God’s Strength through Prayer
Making prayer a habitual response to any of our circumstances keeps our minds and hearts turned toward God’s desires for us. Rather than fixing our minds on our struggles, prayer springs us toward His promises to take on our burdens, strengthen our resilience, and restore peace to our hearts. Prayer also directs us toward God’s call to love others in our community. We build community and build up others when we pray for all God’s people, for God’s strength to withstand and recover quickly from difficulties.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:5-7 NIV)
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)Discover today from Lynn Simpson three ways you can embrace God's strength so you don't run out of resilience. #nevergiveup #resilience #boostresilience Share on X
My girls and son are thriving adults now. When I look back on those early years as a divorced mother of three, I see a tired soul who withstood with the help of her community, carried on with a hope of changes yet to come, and was restored by God’s everlasting grace.
To remain strong in the face of adversity requires running your race on God’s strength. God gives us all we need to withstand, recover, and spring back into shape.
How will you embrace God’s strength today?
Lynn J. Simpson understands the need for creating spaces for rest, renewal, and transformation. She’s rarely without her camera, capturing breathing spaces to share. She’s published Breathing Spaces: A21-Day Journal of Rest, Reflection and Renewal and 30-Day Journal of Thankfulness, Success & Joy, and contributed to Short and Sweet Too (Grace Publishing, 2017). Read Lynn’s musings on faith, hope, and love on her blog (lynnjsimpson.com) and Instagram.
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Upcoming Presentations | Resilience
Join me and over 25 incredible speakers at The Radiant Resilience Virtual Summit on September 18 – 22, 2023. We are here to empower Kingdom women to pursue joy, peace, fulfillment, and faith through life’s storms. Maree will be speaking on Monday, 9/18/23.
Do you ever worry that you won’t have enough strength to keep going? Reserve your spot today to discover effective strategies and practical tips to cultivate emotional resilience and provide unwavering support for your loved ones battling mental illness.
When: September 30, 2023 | 8:00 am (PT) | 9:00 am (MT) 10:00 am (CT) 11:00 am (ET)
How to Boost Resilience Series
Explore how to boost resilience to embrace life’s unexpected turns with courage and confidence. This blog series provides the roadmap to developing unshakeable strength to thrive and find joy in any storm. Tap here to catch up on any missed articles.
Maree, thanks for hosting Lynn. This post is timely for me. Lynn, this resonated with me: “By persevering in God’s word, we build endurance and strength because we learn more of God’s goodness.”
Thanks for your beautiful reminders!
You are so welcome. Lynn had some great words that I needed too. I’m glad they spoke to you. Blessings, Maree
I never thought of myself as a model, Linda! It seemed, at the time, I wasn’t handling things well at all! But by God’s grace, all turned it well. And that will be my encouragement for young mothers. All will be well.
Jennifer, yes, we survived! Lol! And our survival is encouragement for young moms today.
Oh I remember those busy, busy years of raising my girls, working & studying, years full of exhaustion & fun!
God is good though we all survived! Lol! They all have their own families now & the cycle continues.
Blessings, Jennifer
Those were great years. I sure do miss them. I bet it is fun to watch your adult children in those cycles. Blessings, Maree
That it is Maree 😊
Lynn, what fun to come on over here and see you featured! Your story will give young moms hope to persevere, to believe that all will be well, to build skills and faith that will lead to a resilient life. Thanks for modeling this for us … and taking the time to write it down.
I agree that Lynn is a great model for mothers. Maree
Thank you Maree Dee for showcasing this important topic! And having me at your place today. Blessings to you!
Thank you, Lynn, for contributing such helpful and wise words to our series. It was an honor to have you participate. Maree