“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
We are living in strange times. For many of us, this is unprecedented. Never before have we been told to stay away from our friends, family, restaurants, sporting events, etc. We’ve certainly never been told to refrain from assembling in our local church buildings.
But, Lord willing, this is temporary and will be behind us in the not too distant future.
I want to use this opportunity to think about and remind us all of the many good things that are still ours. Let us rejoice and give thanks for all the ways God is blessing us even now.
I read somewhere that if one were so inclined as to compare our confinement at home to a short-term prison sentence, then we should remember the saying: “You can do the time or the time can do you.”
What are some good things that can be found in the midst of these changes and confinement? Here are just a few that I thought about. What would you add to the list?
Freedom – You may be thinking, “Wait a minute. My freedom has been curtailed! I can’t go here or there. I can’t go to work, shake hands, watch basketball…” But we remain free in this country to believe in and to worship Jesus as the Christ! When the apostles were challenged, they were told “not to teach” in the name of or about Jesus (cf. Acts 5:28). While we’ve been asked to refrain from assembling in large numbers for the time being, no one has demanded that we stop teaching about Jesus (not that we would – Acts 5:29). We are blessed! We may continue using all that is at our disposal to tell the world about Jesus (i.e., technology, the printed page, phones, etc.) without government interference!
Learning – What a great time to learn something new! Maybe you’ve never had the inclination or opportunity to use new technology like Livestream or Zoom. You’ve been given a great opportunity to dig in and discover how to use / do something you have yet to do.
Quiet – Many are used to hectic, fast-paced schedules – going from one event to the next with little downtime. This is not good! Being always stretched to the max can have a detrimental effect on our bodies and spirits. The Lord told His disciples to take time to rest (Mark 6:31). Sit quietly. Think deep, eternal, significant thoughts. Take in the beauty of God’s creation around us. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).
Prayer – This goes hand-in-hand with being quiet. When we have been forced to stop other activities, it may be that we finally stop to do what we should have been doing all along. This is a great time to develop powerful habits in the way we pray.
Study – Just like being quiet and praying, being confined to the house offers the opportunity to study the Word of God in the way you always say you will around January 1st each year. Develop the habit of reading Scripture and connecting the dots between the written word and your life.
Death-*C.S. Lewis once said that something good about war was that it caused us to remember / think about death. It makes death real to us. This particular coronavirus can be seen in a similar light. It is good to be reminded that we are mortal and that this life is temporary (cf. Psalm 90:12; James 4:14).
Family – Why don’t we spend more time with our family? For so many, we let insignificant and less important matters crowd out the time that we should be spending with those who are closest to us. What a blessing that our leaders have essentially said to us, “Spend more time together at home. Worship, study, read, play, laugh, share, be together at home as a family.” Thank you! Thank you! What a blessing! (cf. Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21).
Service – When the masses are confined to their homes, when people are losing their jobs, when people are sick, when people are scared…a great opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus is presented to us! Be creative. Work together as a family. Check on others. Darkness is simply an opportunity for Christian lights to shine brightly!
So, what will we do during this unusual time? Let’s look for and find the good!
