Resilience

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB

How bewildering to learn that Christ does not get flustered and frustrated when we come to Him for fresh forgiveness, for renewed pardon, with distress and need and emptiness. That’s the whole point. The need for salvation, rescue of humanity.  It’s what He came to heal. He went down into the horror of death and plunged out through the other side in order to provide a limitless supply of mercy and grace to His people.  Hallelujah!

When we hide from God, subdued in the shadows, sinning, fearful and failing, we blot out Christ’s salvation plan and the enemy creeps in to tell God’s people that when we approach Jesus for mercy in our need and His forgiveness amid our sin, He will push us out - but friends when we actually run TO the Christ for help in our anguish, confusion and sinfulness, we are going with the will of God’s deepest wishes, not against them.  As truly God, Jesus Christ cannot become any more magnificent; He shares in the holy trinity, immortal, eternal, with unchangeable fullness. Yet as truly man, Christ’s heart is not drained by our coming to Him; His heart is filled up all the more by our confession of faith and absolute reliance on Him. 

Hebrews 4:12-16 NASB “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

As Holy Spirit resides within us, He tells us that Jesus Christ is with us, on our side, present and helping, when life is going well and when its in turmoil. It is in “our weaknesses” that Jesus comes alongside us, not with cool and detached pity but with depth of felt solidarity.  And it is even deeper than that. In our pain, Jesus is pained; in our suffering, He feels the suffering as His own, His heart is feelingly drawn into our distress. 

His human nature engages our troubles comprehensively. His is a love that cannot be held back when He sees His people in pain.  Therefore we must not hold back in our pursuit of Him. Follow Him. Cherish Him. Trust Him. Love Him. Chase Him. The word of God takes us by the hand and leads us deep into the heart of Christ, showing us the unrestrained presence of Jesus among His people. 

And the reason that Jesus is in such close solidarity with us is that the difficult path we are on is not unique to just me, or just you. The king of kings has journeyed on it Himself. It is not only that Jesus can relieve us from our troubles, like a doctor prescribing medicine; it is also that, before any relief comes, He is with us IN our troubles. Whoa! 

Consider your own journey. When the feelings of futility come flooding in, when it seems that we can’t sort out our emotions, or the longtime friend lets us down, when a family member betrays us, when we feel deeply misunderstood or ignored…..

In short, when the fallenness of the world closes in on us and makes us want to throw in the towel—there, right there, we can cleave to the One who knows exactly what such testing feels like.  

And I know it can be our tendency to feel that the more difficult life gets, the more alone we are. As we sink further into pain, we sink further into perceived isolation. The Bible corrects us. God is with us. Our pain never outstrips what He Himself shares in. No, we are never alone.