Declaration of Faith

How do you define resilience and why is it so important?

Resilience is what helps us keep on a relatively even keel when the waves come. And if we get knocked over, it helps us recover. Resilience consists of psychological strengths like grit, compassion, gratitude, emotional intelligence and agility. We’re in for a very rocky year with a lot of catastrophes along the way. People who are resilient can cope better and maintain a fundamental sense of well-being.

Why can resilience be tough to achieve?

The brain has a negativity bias, which makes it like Velcro for bad experiences and Teflon for good ones. When you have a performance review and the boss gives you 10 points of feedback and nine are excellent and one is room for improvement, what do you obsess about? Now, many people are feeling a lot of fear, alarm, discord and dread. They may be feeling lonely or isolated.

What can people do to build their own resilience?

I have a simple saying: Deal with the bad, turn to the good, take in the good. Take in the good and help it sink in. No matter how crazy it is around you or how bad it is, there are always things you can do inside your mind.

Dr. Rick Hanson

Our Focus!

“The Lord Is”

*My light

*My Salvation

*My Strength

David understood the ways of war and gives us a example of how to “deal with the bad, turn to the good, take in the good!”

“In The Day of Trouble”

Psalm 27:1–5 NKJV

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

The Lord Is My Light

Without light there is no “seeing”

The New King James Version Chapter 10

22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

With light the path is illuminated

The New King James Version Chapter 5

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),

With light there is understanding

There is an enemy- a foe

There is a place of refuge/safety

David understood the ways of war and gives us a example of how to “deal with the bad, turn to the good, take in the good!”

The Lord is My Salvation

God’s provision of deliverance from sin and death- OT links to Exodus

I will sing to the LORD,

For He has triumphed gloriously!

The horse and its rider

He has thrown into the sea!

2 The LORD is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

He is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Ex 15:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

David understood the ways of war and gives us a example of how to “deal with the bad, turn to the good, take in the good!”

The Lord is My Strength

David did not say that he was strong

David was well aware of the source of his strength as he made this declaration of faith

Ephesians 6:10 nkjv ... be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Eph 6:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 nkjv 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The New King James Version. (1982). (2 Co 12:9–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.