What are we made of?

 

We talk about resilience a lot these days…especially when we take our eyes off of ourselves and look at the lives around us. I know I have talked of resilience before but as I live life, it becomes more than a cool topic for a TED talk or lecture…it becomes painfully obvious what resilience is really about. It is about compressive stress. One definition reads: “the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.” The ability to recover has to do with the property of the material that enables something to resume its original shape or position after the compression, the stress. It made me think of two aspects…

What are we made of?

Do we really want to go back to our original position after a stress that is so compressive it causes deformity?

I can’t help but to think of Jesus…no matter what your view of religion or spirituality--Jesus, His death and resurrection literally shine new light on the concept of resilience.
He was stripped, mocked, spit on, struck on the head over and over, a crown of thorns forced onto His head…He was stricken, pierced and crushed for our iniquities. His body took on a deformed state as it bore physical and spiritual anguish and suffering…the man Jesus became unidentifiable because of the torn flesh, the oppression, the judgement and the affliction of man…as death consumed Him, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit!

What happens then is miraculous as Jesus is raised again…He descends and raises and then ascends in glory, to Glory! He sits at the right hand of Glory Himself! Kind of makes you think of resilience. What was He made of and what position did He resume after such compression and crushing stress? How did He resurrect from deformity?
One thing…He was all man and all God. Reminds me of the importance of abiding in Him as He abides in us. The importance of Holy Spirit alive in us. He gave up His spirit and in exchange His resurrected and ascension was in and with Glory!

What are we made of? Have we exchanged our spirit for His? Have we allowed alignment of our mind, will, and emotions to Holy Spirit within us…is that what we are made of? His spirit and the fruit of His spirit? Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… Do we really want to go back to our original shape, our original position? When I think on this question, I say NO!

When we look at Jesus, He went from a position of brokenness to glory. He was literally transformed. The scripture talks of glory to glory, mountain top to valleys to new heights. His life, His death, His resurrection has changed my perception of resiliency. When compressive stress deforms me, I never want to return to my prior state or position…I desire to move forward with a more refined body, heart, and mind. I desire to mature in my responses to others, in my emotions. I do not want to be one that in my immaturity compresses people and then leaves their deformed bodies, souls, and crushed spirits for God to redeem. I desire to be a vessel that comes alongside deformity in Love, in His spirit and leave room for His glory and redemption.

Let’s ask ourselves again…what are we made of? Then ask, what do we need to exchange to bring glory to compression, to bring redemption to deformity? We say beauty for ashes, but are we creating more beauty or more ashes with our lives? Are we bringing deformity or the fruit of His spirit?

 

…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

                                                                              Isaiah 61:3