Does faith require resilience?

Wednesday, 01.12.2021

The answer is yes. Mental resilience is not only inherited, it can also be moulded. A key resilience factor is faith.

What throws others completely off course cannot affect them: Resilient people are not broken by stress and strokes of fate. They find a grain of good in even the greatest of evils and are firmly convinced that their actions can make a difference. Even under the greatest stress, they perform at their best and, as if they were wearing an invisible shield, even personal attacks seem to simply bounce off them. But where does this special resilience come from?

Even if it may sometimes seem like it, resilience has nothing to do with hardening or even coldness. Quite the opposite. Resilience is the result of a special attitude to life. It is the strength not to break in the face of adversity, but to prove resilient. While for a long time it was assumed that mental resilience was an innate stroke of luck, there is now sufficient evidence to prove this: Resilience can, for the most part, be acquired. Read here to find out what makes us resilient and what role the Christian faith plays in this:

Strengthen trust

Resilience can already be fostered in children. People acquire confidence in their own strengths and abilities as children and become resilient as a result. Parents can positively influence this process by building a stable bond with their children, taking their needs seriously and trusting them. Trust also plays a key role in the Christian faith. A look at the Bible shows: Those who trust in God emerge stronger from every crisis. God is always by our side, throughout our lives. The story "Footprints in the Sand" by Margaret Fishback Powers also tells of this:

One night I had a dream. I was walking along the sea with my master. Against the dark night sky, images from my life shone like rays of light. And each time I saw two footprints in the sand, my own and that of my Lord. When the last image had passed my eyes, I looked back. I was shocked to discover that in many places on my life's journey there was only one track, and these were the most difficult times of my life. Concerned, I asked the Lord: "Lord, when I began to follow you, you promised to be with me in all my ways, but now I discover that in the hardest times of my life there is only a trace in the sand. Why did you leave me alone when I needed you the most?" He replied: "My dear child, I love you and will never leave you alone, especially not in times of need and difficulty. Where you only saw a trace, I carried you." 

The confidence of not being alone, but being supported by God, is like an inner well from which believing Christians draw their strength. Strength to face new situations with flexibility. Strength to deal with strokes of fate. Strength to pick themselves up and carry on. Their faith in God strengthens their positive attitude and gives them stability. After all, even resilient people are not exempt from experiencing suffering and defeat. The difference is that those who trust that everything will turn out well also have the courage to set out for new shores.

Strong together

In addition to trust in God, being part of a Christian community is also a key factor that can make people of faith resilient. Just knowing that they are not on their own in a crisis situation gives them the self-confidence they need to cope better with psychological stress. The fact that people of faith are better able to get through the coronavirus crisis is also shown in the "Young Germans 2021" study. According to the study, young people with a strong faith feel less burdened by the pandemic. A personal relationship with God therefore strengthens us in times of crisis, just as the story of the "tracks in the sand" illustrates: in the greatest hardships and difficulties, we are carried by God.