Isn’t it amazing how so much of our world has changed so dramatically, almost overnight? How the new normal has suddenly replaced the old normal? How everything is in a state of flux? There is no denying that we are living in unprecedented times.
From distant reports of a virus in Wuhan to no sports events. To schools closing. Restaurants closing. Thousands of flights being cancelled. Nations closing their borders. Public gatherings prohibited. Weddings postponed. Massive crashes in the stock markets. Hundreds of millions of people wondering how they are going to be able to pay their bills. On and on it goes.
Yet now is the time, like no other in our lifetime, for Christians to be the salt and light of the earth. The decisions we make now will not only effect ourselves and our families but countless others in our sphere of influence. The question is how can we be the salt and light when we are constantly bombarded with bad news of more businesses closing, more people being infected and more people dying?
In times of calamity, Christians should strive to “keep their Bibles and hearts open” more than ever before and stand on the Word of God.
”Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7)
“ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.(Romans 8:28).
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end..”(Jeremiah 29:11).
Standing on the Word of God will help us to increase our faith and decrease our fear.
Author and pastor, Max Lucado, has some great advice on growing our faith. “If we feed our faith our fears will starve. If we feed our fears our faith will starve. Our tendency is to feed our fears. We have to do intentional things to feed our faith.”
“When I turn on the news this evening, I’ll hear somebody say things are getting worse. If I don’t guard myself, I’ll let that create a sense of anxiety that will fill my heart, and then I will purvey that to the world,” Lucado explained. “We think that just because we have a thought, we have to think it. We don’t. We don’t have to receive it. There are lots of lies out there and falsehoods distributed right now, in the form of exaggeration, like, ‘We’ll never get through this’ and other overstatements. We need to guard against those things because they can suck us down.”
The Apostle Paul exhorts believers to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
“This means, we hear that thought, and then we pray: ‘I know it seems things are getting worse, but Lord, you are in control, and I’m not going to surrender to that. I give my fear to you,’” Lucado explains. “Instead of allowing anxiety into my heart, faith goes into my heart so that later, what I say is, ‘Things are tough, but I believe in a good God and He’s on the throne.’ I become one who purveys hope instead of fear.”
When we have built up our own faith we will become an example for others. Instead of hoarding goods we will be generous with others. While Christians should save money and food to provide for their immediate family, our mindset should be to also have enough to provide for our community. Besides sharing physical things, there will never be a better time to share our faith with others who need to hear that there is hope despite this crisis.
Our faith will encourage us to pray for those who are sick and fearful during these times. This makes no sense to the unbeliever, but in the laws of the Kingdom our prayers can release His healing power to others and bring peace to those in need. We should pray for our elected officials instead of criticizing them. We should pray for the virus to be contained. We should pray for the world’s medical staff to endure and for hearts to be changed.
Instead of focusing our energy on the crisis we should creatively look for divine solutions. Isaiah 60:1, 2 speaks of the people of God arising and shining during times when darkness covers the earth! This is one of those times!
Over the next few weeks, you might have a little extra time in your schedule. Take advantage of this opportunity. and spend some quality time with the Lord. Read some inspirational books, especially the Bible. Watch church services online. Pray more. Use the time to catch up on things you need to do but never have time to do. If you’re growing and changing emotionally and spiritually, everything around you will improve. A positive outlook also reduces obsession over the crises at hand.
A national emergency is inconvenient. Not everyone responds to crisis the same way. Let’s all hold our tongues for a moment before we respond to posts, notifications, speeches, and announcements. A quarantine reminds us how much we need meaningful, physical connection to the people we know and love. Instead of using technology as a social escape, use your social time to FaceTime on the phone, rather than engaging in endless hours of surfing social media.
“Normal life” will return across this great country. But God’s people should give careful thought to the way they live their lives and how others see them walk out their faith during this crisis. Your actions could lead others to want some of what you have or they could turn them against what you say you stand for. That is a big responsibility for all Christians during these trying times.
Chuck Colson used to say, ‘Christians do the best in the worst of times.” May we rise to the challenge and may our faith grow stronger in the face of this pandemic. May the Lord be glorified by the peace we exhibit during these times. And may the end of this crisis come quickly and be followed by a move of God that would catapult us into a new Great Awakening!