Resilient Joy

In the early 1950s, during a brutal season of war and political unrest in Korea, Pastor Son Yang-Won lost his two sons. They were gunned down by a communist insurgent. The killer was caught. Justice could’ve been served.

But at the funeral, Pastor Son did something the world couldn’t explain.

He publicly forgave the murderer.

Then he sent his daughter to plead for the killer’s life.

And then—he adopted the killer as his own son.

That’s not usual - that’s resurrection-level grace at work.

How do you stand firm in joy after a loss like that? How do you keep going—not just existing, but forgiving, loving, hoping?

The answer is in Philippians 3:12–4:1. Paul calls us to a “resilient joy.” Not shallow happiness. Not religious denial. Real joy that can take a hit and stay standing.

Paul outlines four movements of this kind of joy:

1. Forgetting What’s Behind (Philippians 3:13)

Paul had a complicated past. Religious pride. Spiritual achievements. And deep guilt—he had persecuted the early Church.

But in verse 13, he says, “I forget what lies behind.” That doesn’t mean pretending the past didn’t happen. It means refusing to let it define his future.

We often cling to old shame or relive past glory. But that can’t power a joyful life. Resilient joy requires letting go.

Not by pretending the past didn’t matter, but by declaring that Jesus matters more.

The cross is big enough to carry all your baggage—your failures and your wins.

2. Pressing Toward the Goal (Philippians 3:14)

Paul says, “I press on toward the goal.”

But he’s not talking about striving in his own strength. In verse 12, he makes it clear: “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me.”

It’s Christ’s grip that keeps us moving—not our own.

Imagine a child on an ice rink, holding her father’s hand. She stumbles constantly, but she never hits the ground. Why? Her father never lets go.

That’s the Gospel. God holds on when we slip.

Our joy isn’t in our performance. It’s in His hold. And that empowers us to keep moving—even uphill, even in storms.

3. Following Christlike Examples (Philippians 3:17)

Paul says, “Join together in following my example.”

That’s not pride—it’s leadership.

Everyone follows someone. So who’s shaping your faith?

Paul contrasts godly examples with “enemies of the cross” who chase comfort and self. Their path ends in ruin.

Don’t follow flash. Follow faith.
Look for people who persevere through suffering. Who forgive when it’s hard. Who lean into grace, not image.

Resilient joy grows in the soil of spiritual community. If you’re isolated, you’re vulnerable.

4. Waiting with Eyes on Heaven (Philippians 3:20)

Paul says, “Our citizenship is in heaven.”

That doesn’t mean we ignore earth. It means we see earth clearly—because we know it’s not our final stop.

Jesus will return. Not just to end the pain—but to transform us. Verse 21 says He will make our broken bodies like His glorious one.

That’s the anchor. That’s the joy that holds when everything else falls.

As C.S. Lewis put it: “If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

We’re not home yet. But we know what’s coming.

Stand Firm—In Christ

Paul wraps it up in Philippians 4:1:
“Stand firm in the Lord in this way.”

Not in your success.
Not in your hustle.
Not in your feelings.
In Christ.

Forget what’s behind—because Jesus paid for it.
Press on—because Jesus holds you.
Follow examples—because Jesus put you in a community.
Wait eagerly—because Jesus is coming again.

Resilient joy is not the absence of pain—it’s the presence of Christ in it. It’s knowing He’s alive, He’s sovereign, and He won’t let go.

So stand firm.