Resilience and joy in the Lord Jesus

Resilience comes not from a re-ordering of schedule but from ongoing 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 schedules without addressing our desire to be like God and to be everywhere-for-all. In other words, we can remain self-centred, blurry-eyed, and God-numb with boundaries and a cup of tea in our hands just as much as we can without them. We are meant to replace what we’ve emptied, not with just anything but with the provision and grace of Jesus. Otherwise, the emptier schedule will drive us nuts because we do not know what to do with the quiet. Likewise, without him the things we do schedule will drive us off the mark because we still do not know how to schedule or do our local tasks as if in God’s presence and with his grace to hear his voice intrude into our day and content our souls with him.’

Eswine is, I believe, remarkably insightful and actually quite brave to write this. Insightful, since many of us miss this. Brave, since it flies in the face of much received wisdom around resilience and longevity in ministry. Fundamentally, resilience comes not from a re-ordering of schedule but from a re-ordering of our hearts. A regular, repeating, re-ordering.

We often miss the context and tone of Paul’s comments, exhortations, and encouragements around resilience. In one of the most famous texts, he prays that the Christians in Colossae would ‘be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.’ In my experience there are four significant nuances which we tend to miss. Firstly, this is one of those active/passive commands; the prayer is not to strengthen ourselves, but to be strengthened. So resilience is, at its core essence, an utterly dependent thing. Dependence on the ‘glorious might’ of the Lord Jesus. Our hearts are to be re-ordered around radical dependence and yielded-ness to Jesus.

Second, endurance comes with patience. For some reason endurance seems to get more attention than patience. By their nature, things which require patience are prone to be overlooked since they are too slow, unimpressive, boring, and apparently hopeless. But resilience is being equipped with patience.

Thirdly, all this is ‘with joy’. We aren’t talking about a strong, self-reliant gospel minister who can ‘handle’ the bruises and discouragements because his skin is thick and he’s been around the block. The call is not to be weather-beaten politicians who just know how the game works. We’re to keep growing in joy. Gospel resilience is about being strengthened for endurance and patience with joy.

And fourthly, resilience rests on the ‘power’ and ‘glorious might’ of God. Often when we think of a ‘powerful’ gospel ministry we think of persuasive preaching, bold evangelism, ambitious plans and impressive results. But re-read our Colossians text and we see that power in ministry looks like a patient, enduring ministry. The kind we might get bored with is the kind in which God’s power is at work.

This is the heart of it all. We need newer, richer, ever-deepening affections for the Lord Jesus if we are to endure fruitfully through the long-term; we need re-ordered hearts. We need our hearts re-ordered by the mighty Spirit of God.

The ‘spiritual disciplines’ are, of course, means to this joy; they are not ends in themselves. We should think of them as well-trodden paths to joy in Christ. If you want to be confident of seeing a pride of lions whilst on safari you must follow the well-trodden paths that your guide tells you about (rather than picking a location at random that seems best to you). In the same way, the spiritual disciplines are the well-trodden paths that we follow in seeking joy in Christ.

My experience is that many pastors’ initial response (perhaps even at a sub-conscious level) is to dismiss the disciplines as something they ‘already know’, and to want something newer or more instant to ‘fix’ their weariness. However, there is no merit in simply ‘knowing’ the disciplines; there is value in doing them, humbly and consistently. If there is no appetite for a greater joy in Christ, then you must take immediate and drastic action to repent in depth, now. Pastors are those calling their flocks — and the unbelieving world — to join in passionate worship of the risen Lord Jesus. What a tragic irony that for many of us, this very worship we are calling people to (in our mission to make disciples) is what is grossly dampened in our own lives. So the disciplines are a means to joy in Christ. They are only as effective as they are oriented towards Christ. For instance, ‘meditating’ is only as valuable as it is ‘meditating on the beauty of Christ’; I could meditate on a new road bike for 2 hours and it would not help me to overflow with love for Jesus. Fasting is only of value if I am fasting for greater intimacy with Christ, greater purity in my heart towards Him.

So, what is the foundation, the control center of a Christian’s resilience? Re-ordered hearts. Hearts ordered around and towards newer, richer, ever-deepening affections for the Lord Jesus. We need our hearts re-ordered by the mighty power of the Spirit of God. It’s the only way to know ‘endurance and patience’ with joy.