Dear Jesus Followers,
I remember when I was younger I usually got so bored sitting through a whole sermon at church. I say usually because every once in a while the topic being preached about would be something that applied to me at that time in my life. It was the same with my bible study. I was always wondering what it all had to do with my life. As time went on, I started realizing that the teachings that didn’t apply to me at the time or didn’t interest me were actually preparing me for what was to come. It didn’t matter where I was in that moment, it was about where God knew I would be in the future. That was my first thought when I sat down to write this. I have been (somewhat unwittingly) preparing for a time like this.
As Jesus followers we are in a pretty crucial time. This pandemic we are facing is creating circumstances most of us never dreamed we would be living. We might feel like we aren’t prepared for this but in the ways that really matter (or should) to Jesus followers, we are. We might not have been expecting it, it might have taken us by surprise, but we’ve been preparing for something like this all along — an opportunity like this. This might not be the ideal circumstances for our comfortable, fun, happy-go-lucky lives, but it is absolutely the ideal circumstances for the glory of God to be magnified. This is our purpose –to have the honor of revealing God’s goodness and glory to others in a time like this.
We are very, very small and from our perspective our problems seem really, really big. Don’t get me wrong, this pandemic is big and unprecedented. But to God there’s no too big, no impossible, no too difficult, no unknown. As Christians we know that the promises of God transcend this temporary life and these or any circumstances we find ourselves in. So while we prepare practically by gathering the supplies we need to stay home and help flatten the curve and save lives, let’s remember that we were made for times like this. We were made to glorify and hold high the name and power of Jesus over our lives and the lives of others.
Even if this whole thing gets worse, even if it never ended — God remains the same. He never changes, His goodness and His promises remain no matter what. People need to know that and as Jesus followers it is our privilege to put His love and light on display in the darkest of times.
I encourage you to fix your focus on God today more than ever before. Be ready to lovingly answer people who want to know why you aren’t worried. Be ready to lovingly answer people who want to know how you can be so full of peace in such uncertain times. Do what you can to be the hands and feet of Jesus for people in need right now.
For those of you who are worried, be in prayer. This is a totally unfamiliar experience for most of us. Worry is obviously understandable. Please remember who your God is. Remember that we are citizens of heaven and this world is just a temporary home. Choose faith, even if you have to keep choosing it minute after minute, hour after hour. My prayer for us all is that we would fix our focus on God and the fact that the enemy cannot overcome peace, joy, contentment, and love when it’s found in the name of Jesus, even in the midst of suffering.
I’m praying for peace, contentment, and safety for you all through whatever may come of this. I hope you’ll join me in prayer for literally everyone. I will leave people out if I start trying to list everyone. Let’s stay in prayer for our nation and our world as a whole right now. ♥
