I’ve been thinking about resilience lately. What does it mean to have “bounce-back-ability”? The fact of the matter is that this is a crucial characteristic for any of us who hope to have longevity in any endeavor. As I watch the Olympics, I have been inspired by the many stories of the athletes who have had to work harder and overcome obstacles to get back to this opportunity to compete on a world stage. Many have had to practice extreme resilience.

Any time I face a setback, it can be very difficult to muster the strength or even the desire to continue on. Resilience beckons me to move forward, to get up once again and keep going. It’s when I’ve been knocked down, when everyone is counting me out that I need to be resilient most! It’s then that I need to remember to look up to my Helper, Encourager, and Friend, Jesus, who is championing me forward and upward. Looking up helps me rise again!

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” This verse encourages me to rise each time I fall: be resilient! The verse mentions seven times which could symbolize “perfection” suggesting that in this life there will be many times I fall until I am finally perfected in Christ. Seven is often the number associated with perfection. Jesus is still working on me. I need to only be repentant and resilient.

Living in a sinful world means I will face failures and falling often but this verse also foreshadows an “eighth” time rising. The number eight refers to a new beginning and fresh start. There is a new day coming and until then it is important to be resilient and to keep getting up again and again. When I get knocked down, I need to keep looking up: looking up helps in getting up. Jesus is my example. He got up when He was knocked down, counted out and left for dead yet He rose again! That’s true resilience!