His room at Flossenburg was simple—nothing on the plaster walls—just a wooden door with a big lock, a few feet from where he was executed, a few weeks before Allies liberated the Flossenburg Nazi German concentration camp.  I was humble and contrite as I looked at the garden wall where they killed German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer.   He was such a heroic figure, such a fighter for the faith, a warrior against the apostasy of the German Church which turned a blind eye to Adolf Hitler’s Jewish Holocaust and Nazi Germany’s brutal domination of other nations.

From the accounts of his own writings and those of fellow prisoners, Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not grow slack in his day of distress (Proverbs 24:10 – “If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.”).  In short, he remained strong and faithful to God and others until the SS executioners ended his life.  I find this both inspiring and convicting.  If Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not grow slack under the stress of a Nazi concentration camp, should we not likewise lean into every day that God gives us breath and purpose, moving forward with the strength that only He can provide?

The Warrior David penitently prayed in Psalm 51, including “sustain me with a willing spirit.”  Isn’t this what we all need EVERY DAY – a willing spirit to lean into God’s presence, to love Him and serve others, to “seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)?  If you are like me, this can sometimes be a struggle.  Yet, an unwavering commitment and MINDSET to “seek first” on a daily basis lies at the heart of a “willing spirit” and ever growing Resilience – God Style.  For me, that starts with reading God’s Word and talking to Him in prayer.  I suspect the same is true for you.

What do YOU think?

“Create in me a clean heart, oh God
And renew a right spirit within me”
(Keith Green, 1984)

Bob Dees