The world is a scary and uncertain place right now. Whether you're stuck at home or out working in the real world, it seems impossible to escape the reality of COVID-19. Opinions abound and emotions flare as people complain, shift blame, and forecast the end of the American Dream. For those of us who claim to be Christians, we need to evaluate how we ought to respond Biblically. There is, perhaps, no single response that is uniquely Christian, but the way that we respond to this pandemic should demonstrate that veracity of our religious and ideological claims. Here are four ways that Christians ought to respond to this situation.
1) Pray for our leaders. It's really easy to complain about the job that our elected leaders are doing. I am guilty of this myself. It's easy to sit at home as an armchair QB and tell the world how you would handle the crisis, but, unless you're in a position of power, you really have no idea how you would handle it. Our elected leaders should be held accountable for any missteps and abuses during this time, but, so far as we can, we ought to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are trying to do their best.
What each and every citizen can and should do during this difficult time is support our elected leaders through prayer. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul commands us to pray for all men. Surprisingly, he specifically mentions "kings and all who are in high positions." As Christians, it is our civic duty to offer up our leaders in prayer. As it has been said before, if you aren't praying for your leaders, you better not be complaining about them!
2) Be the Church. Many Christians have not been able to gather with the body or observe the Lord's Supper for three weeks or more, but this is not the first time in history that Christians have been forbidden from meeting, nor will it be the last. We should thank God that technology exists to facilitate our continued fellowship, but, more than that, we must remember that our inability to worship in person does not impair our identity as Christians. The COVID-19 crisis is tragic and trying, yes, but it should not be earth-shattering or foundation-destroying for those who claim the name of Christ. We need to see ourselves as part of the big picture of Christian history, and, I assure you, the Church has weathered much worse. In times like these we may recall our Savior's promise that the "gates of hell will not prevail" against His Church. Our society, economy, and culture could crumble around us, but His Church will stand tall. In fact, God uses trials like these to purify our faith and make us stronger.
What this means practically is that we need now more than ever to be the Church. American Christianity has devolved into attending a worship service occasionally on Sunday mornings, but that is not true Christianity. That is not the Church. The Church is defined by our hope and by our lives, both of which focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In times like these we must trust in our Sovereign God. We must be loving and kind. We must be generous and faithful and hopeful. We must demonstrate the peace of Christ for a world that has none. We need to be gracious with those who are dealing with this differently than we are. This crisis is a chance for the Church of Jesus Christ to reveal the truth of God to our communities, so we must look for and take the opportunities to bless other people, especially (but not exclusively) our fellow brethren in Christ.
3) Assess our priorities. There is a blessed silver-lining to this madness. As we spend more time at home than we normally would, we will have time to reevaluate what is really important in life. As we watch our entertainment-driven society brought to its knees at the hands of a virus, we should be reminded where our true citizenship lies. Walking amongst the ruins of materialism will show us again our need to seek first the Kingdom of God and leave the rest to Him. Our behavior through these hours will reveal whether our priorities are earthly or Heavenly. Our attitudes, our actions, and the use of our time will show what our true focus is.
4) Redeem the time. Again, many of us will be spending more time at home, even those of us who are still working full-time. What will we do with the surplus of so-called free-time that we will have over the next weeks or months. We will fill that time with something, so we are presented with a choice. How will we use that time? We will whittle it away with endless hours of entertainment? Or will we use it productively?
It has been both encouraging and saddening to see the how many companies have offered free online content over the last few weeks. It is encouraging to see companies being generous, but it is depressing to see how much time is being wasted. The fact that Netflix and Hulu are dominating our spare time, as if we have nothing better to do, shows just how shallow our culture is.
For Christians, we know that this is really the choice that lies before every human being, regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Government-mandated quarantine or not, we should use our time as wisely as possible. The Apostle Paul commended "redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Our days are just as evil now as they were in his day, so his words are just as applicable to our lives as they were for the Ephesians in the first century.
Every hour we are given is an opportunity to serve God and others. When we are abruptly given more unfilled time, we must resolve in a special way to utilize that time wisely. This is the time to draw close to God and to our families. This is the time for personal devotions and family worship. This is the opportunity to improve our soul, minds, and bodies. Our attitudes will determine our success in this venture. Do we view this time as something we must simply "get through"? Or do we see it as an opportunity to accomplish something?
No one knows how long this crisis will last. No one knows when, or if, life will get back to the normal we once knew. What Christians know, however, is that God is still in control and that we are still called to be faithful. These are a few ways that we can do that.
1) Pray for our leaders. It's really easy to complain about the job that our elected leaders are doing. I am guilty of this myself. It's easy to sit at home as an armchair QB and tell the world how you would handle the crisis, but, unless you're in a position of power, you really have no idea how you would handle it. Our elected leaders should be held accountable for any missteps and abuses during this time, but, so far as we can, we ought to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are trying to do their best.
What each and every citizen can and should do during this difficult time is support our elected leaders through prayer. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul commands us to pray for all men. Surprisingly, he specifically mentions "kings and all who are in high positions." As Christians, it is our civic duty to offer up our leaders in prayer. As it has been said before, if you aren't praying for your leaders, you better not be complaining about them!
2) Be the Church. Many Christians have not been able to gather with the body or observe the Lord's Supper for three weeks or more, but this is not the first time in history that Christians have been forbidden from meeting, nor will it be the last. We should thank God that technology exists to facilitate our continued fellowship, but, more than that, we must remember that our inability to worship in person does not impair our identity as Christians. The COVID-19 crisis is tragic and trying, yes, but it should not be earth-shattering or foundation-destroying for those who claim the name of Christ. We need to see ourselves as part of the big picture of Christian history, and, I assure you, the Church has weathered much worse. In times like these we may recall our Savior's promise that the "gates of hell will not prevail" against His Church. Our society, economy, and culture could crumble around us, but His Church will stand tall. In fact, God uses trials like these to purify our faith and make us stronger.
What this means practically is that we need now more than ever to be the Church. American Christianity has devolved into attending a worship service occasionally on Sunday mornings, but that is not true Christianity. That is not the Church. The Church is defined by our hope and by our lives, both of which focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In times like these we must trust in our Sovereign God. We must be loving and kind. We must be generous and faithful and hopeful. We must demonstrate the peace of Christ for a world that has none. We need to be gracious with those who are dealing with this differently than we are. This crisis is a chance for the Church of Jesus Christ to reveal the truth of God to our communities, so we must look for and take the opportunities to bless other people, especially (but not exclusively) our fellow brethren in Christ.
3) Assess our priorities. There is a blessed silver-lining to this madness. As we spend more time at home than we normally would, we will have time to reevaluate what is really important in life. As we watch our entertainment-driven society brought to its knees at the hands of a virus, we should be reminded where our true citizenship lies. Walking amongst the ruins of materialism will show us again our need to seek first the Kingdom of God and leave the rest to Him. Our behavior through these hours will reveal whether our priorities are earthly or Heavenly. Our attitudes, our actions, and the use of our time will show what our true focus is.
4) Redeem the time. Again, many of us will be spending more time at home, even those of us who are still working full-time. What will we do with the surplus of so-called free-time that we will have over the next weeks or months. We will fill that time with something, so we are presented with a choice. How will we use that time? We will whittle it away with endless hours of entertainment? Or will we use it productively?
It has been both encouraging and saddening to see the how many companies have offered free online content over the last few weeks. It is encouraging to see companies being generous, but it is depressing to see how much time is being wasted. The fact that Netflix and Hulu are dominating our spare time, as if we have nothing better to do, shows just how shallow our culture is.
For Christians, we know that this is really the choice that lies before every human being, regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Government-mandated quarantine or not, we should use our time as wisely as possible. The Apostle Paul commended "redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Our days are just as evil now as they were in his day, so his words are just as applicable to our lives as they were for the Ephesians in the first century.
Every hour we are given is an opportunity to serve God and others. When we are abruptly given more unfilled time, we must resolve in a special way to utilize that time wisely. This is the time to draw close to God and to our families. This is the time for personal devotions and family worship. This is the opportunity to improve our soul, minds, and bodies. Our attitudes will determine our success in this venture. Do we view this time as something we must simply "get through"? Or do we see it as an opportunity to accomplish something?
No one knows how long this crisis will last. No one knows when, or if, life will get back to the normal we once knew. What Christians know, however, is that God is still in control and that we are still called to be faithful. These are a few ways that we can do that.
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