Book Review : A Resilient Life Gordon
MacDonald,
Thomas Nelson, 2004.
Gordon MacDonald is a gifted writer. In this book, in which he celebrates the gift
of a coach in his own life, he becomes a coach for all his readers who want
their life to count for God. He says:
“In the great race of life, there are some Christ-followers who stand out from
all the rest…They seem to possess these spiritual qualities –
They are committed to finishing strong.
They are committed to finishing strong.
They are inspired by a
big-picture view of life.
They run free of the weight of
the past.
They run confidently, trained to
go the distance.
They run in the company of a
‘happy few.’” (p. vii.)
MacDonalds’ book is devoted to helping Christians possess and
maintain these five spiritual qualities.
He shares openly and vulnerably from his own life, backing up his main
points with numerous scriptural examples and quotes from a wide variety of
writers. This gives the book relevance,
depth and breadth.
MacDonald acknowledges the struggles and difficulties of
life that can distract, derail or actually destroy those who do not have a
resilient faith in Christ. He
acknowledges the training and discipline required to develop the spiritual
qualities he describes. In fact, the
dominant metaphor in the book comes from his own rigorous training toward
excellence demanded by his high school cross-country coach. Despite MacDonald’s own lapses and tendency
to give up or settle for a lower standard, he admits he would not have become all
he is (even 50 years later) without the principles the coach built into
him. He says “The race of life is a race
of distance, not a sprint. I must
cultivate a spiritual life that covers the entire distance and never lose sight
of the race leader, Jesus.” (p. xviii). This,
he says, requires resilience.
His analogy of life as a “great race” is apt. Perhaps none know this more than missionaries
and Christian workers who are not only dealing with the normal struggles of
life but also with forces in the spiritual realm that buffet them and seek to
pull them out of the race or impede their progress. Obedient Christians look to Christ as their
leader, model and source of empowerment through the Holy Spirit. But they need resilience and strength from
one another to press forward “and not allow the common adversities in one’s
life to cripple or shrivel one’s soul” (p. 33).
They need resilience. The Dictionary
says resilience is the ability “to rebound readily when stretched, to be
buoyant and cheerful.” Since life has
many stretching and even wrenching experiences, this book is a must-read, especially for missionaries but also for
all Christians who want to live a life that counts for God.
Here are a few highlights from MacDonald’s book.
1.
“Resilient
people are committed to finishing strong.”
That concept may seem most applicable for those over 40. In fact, MacDonald
notes that “resilience for us has, in most cases, more to do with lasting and
thriving in the spiritual way in the second half of life”(p.19). But
he maintains that the patterns we build into our lives in the early years set
the tone for what we will achieve in the later years: “Every yesterday informs the todays of life
and every today formulates consequences that will become influential for the
tomorrows …they all network and interface with one another” (p. 19).
2.
“Resilient
people are inspired by a big picture of life. They have a sense of life
direction…They begin with the biggest
possible picture of things they hear God speaking into their lives…and live
each day in pursuit of that big picture” (pp.42,
45). They “open their hearts to the presence of God… and have a filled
up soul” (pp. 189, 191).
3.
“Resilient
people cultivate Christian character.
Character is the person I am over the long haul of life, the person who
emerges in the most difficult, challenging moments. Character defines the attitudes, convictions,
and resultant behavior that distinguish my life…Character must be monitored and
if necessary redirected and rebuilt... It involves…growth, transformation and
maturity…based on values that spring from a life grounded in Scripture” (pp. 61-62, 65).
4.
“Resilient
people run free from the weight of the past - “we keep memories in a state
of good repair lest unhealthy ones gain control of today’s attitudes and
behaviors…If our memories are filled with unresolved issues, then our
resilience is diminished…We need to live the way of repentance, practice the
discipline of forgiveness, the life of gratitude, and search for wisdom” (pp. 106, 110, 115).
“Gratitude is sweeping one’s memory for recent and not so recent
events where there is a need for saying thank you” (p.
134). [Wisdom is gained as] “resilient people …wring from their past all
the insight and power needed for the moment…They ask: ‘What is to be learned
here? Why was there success or failure? Where does this [next move] lead?’ The resilient person is a reflective person (pp. 141, 140,
136).
5. “Resilient people train to go the
distance…to have self-mastery. It is
the pathway of struggle… There are mental barriers to be overcome...They insist
that their bodies behave in accordance with willpower and not simple
convenience…They grow their minds, (‘intentionally pursuing intellectual vigor
and spiritual depth p. 35)…They harness
their emotions…and act when their emotions are an accurate reflection of the
moment…It is a fact that every time a man feels a noble impulse without taking
action, he becomes less likely ever to take action.” (pp 152- 180). “Resilient
people trim their egos, i.e, tame them and put them in submission to the
purposes of God…They understand that ego has an insatiable desire for
enlargement.” [MacDonald calls it ‘ego creep’.]
“We discipline the ego by meditating each day on our brokenness in life
and the redemptive work of Christ to mend it back together again. Humility
is…the root and foundation…of all good things” (pp.
183-186).
6. “Resilient people run in the company of a
‘happy few’ – [ i.e,] people in our inner circle who will walk through life
with us and make an inestimable contribution to the developing of our resilient
life…Living resiliently cannot be done alone” (p.
211, 217). ..Often my perceptions of what someone has said or done, what
is truly important in the world, what is the best response to a situation, are
woefully inadequate until I have listened to others whom I trust. Only then do
I stand on firmer ground about what is ‘truly true’… [With our ‘happy few’] we
make special things happen together that we could not have accomplished
ourselves or done as well. It’s called synergy” (pp.221,
224). “These ‘happy few’ enable us to be what we have never been
before. We shall never truly know
ourselves unless we find people who can listen, who can enable us to emerge, to
come out of ourselves, to discover who we are.
We cannot discover ourselves by ourselves….From these ‘happy few’ one
derives continuous strength for the race [of life]” (pp.226-227).
In light of these principles, MacDonald asks his readers: “Who
coaches you?...Who stretches your mind?…Who listens and encourages your
dreams?...Who will protect you?...Who are those who share your tears?...Who
rebukes you?...Who plays with you when refreshment of body and soul is the
chief priority?...Who seeks after God with you?” (pp.
228-236).
Important questions to be answered
intentionally if one wants a life that “stands out from all the rest” (p.vii).
Reviewed and briefly
highlighted by M.L. Codman-Wilson, Ph.D.
2/22/12
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