Becoming

What will we be like when this pandemic is over?

If you’re like me, you’ve thought about the things you want to do and the people you want to see and hug when these COVID-19 sanctions lift. This time sequestered in our homes has given us all a greater appreciation for things and people we once took for granted.

But what if this time has been about more than that?

What if we have an opportunity to not just exit out of this experience, but emerge from it?

What if this time we’ve been in hasn’t been so much a holding tank, but a cocoon?

As a Christian, I’ve been in awe at how this quarantine experience has made my anticipation of this Easter even more meaningful.

As I look forward to celebrating Christ’s resurrection this Sunday, there are some insights I’m having as I walk through these holy days just before.

1.Before there can be a resurrection, there must be a death. We celebrate Christ’s resurrection because he was faithful first to die on the cross for us. We don’t always get to fast forward to the happy ending. We usually get walk through and learn from each page of our lives. This chapter of quarantine has been one that has handed many of us an opportunity to die to certain things we’ve relied too heavily upon.

2.Some things must die – Bad habits, addictions, character flaws, relationship issues all have a way of rearing their heads in a time like this. Chances are good that you already know what your issues are, and you’ve tried several ways to improve in these areas. But what if the real thing that needs to be laid down in this season is our sense of self sufficiency to take care of these issues ourselves? Only God can bring a dead relationship back to life. Only God can straighten the places where we’ve gone askew. Certainly, there will be things we get to do in partnership with God, but the main is challenge we face is handing Him the controls.


3.Some things get to die – So many of us have things we’ve had to cancel or miss because of quarantine -- proms, graduations, birthdays, wedding and anniversary celebrations, trips abroad, business plans. The list goes on and on. Surrendering our plans and disappointment to God is hard and it can hurt. Jesus is our example in this struggle. He has felt the agony of surrendering to God’s will. He prayed on the Mount of Olives right before he was betrayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” In his humanity Jesus agonized over what he knew was ahead of him and longed for a different way to work things out. But he surrendered his will to God’s bigger plan.


4.Death and surrender can make rich soil -- Death isn’t the end. As we surrender more fully to God, it creates this beautiful fertile place where God can do a new thing in us. It opens the door to the bigger redemption story He has written for us to walk out. In the end, we will see our plans were too small.

As I approach this Good Friday, and I remember the sacrifice Jesus made for me, I am asking myself what places I’ve struggled giving up during this time. I’m choosing to loosen my grip on those things and make them my offering to God. And in that place, I’m believing for a resurrection that only God could bring.

Stillness

As an introvert, I must admit my heart did a happy flutter when I was told I had to work from home due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Week One didn’t disappoint. I was excited to get to work in my sweats and accomplish a lot in the quietness of my house.

But as I begin to walk through the threshold of Week Three, I don’t feel so fluttery. I feel more like I’m being grounded. Many of my social privileges have been taken away in the last few weeks and I am confined to my home except for a daily walk and an occasional trip to the store.

A blanket of stillness has fallen all over the world.

Even if you are home with your spouse and children, there’s a kind of stillness — no school, no soccer games or gymnastics. Although there may be some hassles related to this new living arrangement, there’s no hustle and bustle. We are just home alone or with our immediate family.

In an instant, our social calendars were wiped clean. Stillness.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this stillness.

Stillness can be unsettling or peaceful.
The lack of familiar distractions can be uncomfortable because it enables us to more easily see issues we have been hiding from or neglecting to address in our lives.
But there’s also a clarity that can come with stillness — a freedom to focus on what truly matters.

God often speaks in stillness.
In 1 Kings 19:11-13, after Elijah had a major victory and defeated the prophets of Baal, fear gripped him, and he ran for his life from Queen Jezebel.
After this, when God spoke to Elijah, His voice didn’t come in a mighty wind, on in an earthquake, or in a fire, but in a still small voice.
And God’s question to Elijah was, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

In this season of stillness, perhaps God is coming near and whispering to each of us, “What are you doing here?” We have a fresh opportunity to truly look at ourselves.
Where do we want to change? What really matters? What relationships do we want to cherish and hold onto?

Stillness can heal.
Psalm 23:2 - 3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”
If we cooperate with God’s leading, there is a restorative, healing effect of the stillness and peace God’s presence brings.

Stillness invites us to intimacy with God
Not only do our own issues become clearer in stillness, but God does too. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.”
The word know in this verse means the know intimately.

My husband is a tall man, and when I give him a bear hug, the side of my face falls on his chest right where his heart is. If I am still, I can hear his slow steady heartbeat. Intimate stillness.

As all the voices in this pandemic season urge us to keep our distance and wash our hands, God’s still small voice is beckoning us to draw near to him, hear His heartbeat and experience His peace.

I don’t want to come out of this time without being changed for the better. So, as I stare at Week Three of “shelter in place,” I am committing to remind myself that I’m not being grounded by this stillness, but rather invited into it -- to know God and His peace more fully.

A Word of Encouragement

Amid the massive upheaval that the Coronavirus is causing, it can be difficult not to fall prey to the fear that is so quickly engulfing the world. But I believe this is a key time for the people of God to walk in the powerful reality of the love and peace that only God can give. While borders, schools, and public events are closing, unique doors of opportunity are swinging open for believers to share God’s hope.

Our challenge is to look with heaven’s eyes at this situation – eyes of faith. This situation does not limit God. What is He doing in this and how can we co-labor with Him? I know of a ministry team that is currently on a Spring Break outreach in New York City. Although some would say the timing of their trip is unfortunate, they have had incredible opportunities to minister the peace of Christ in the midst of widespread panic within the city.

To walk in the faith and power God gives us, we must “put on the full armor of God so that we can stand our ground.” (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)

This isn’t being “super-spiritual.” We still acknowledge the facts. Coronavirus is a real thing. It has the power to spread rapidly. There are healthy choices we can make to try to keep ourselves free from sickness.

But we do not have to fear. We have the power of God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, to fight against this.
2 Timothy 1:7 is a Scripture that gives us words to live by during this time:

“God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear” – When we feel ourselves slipping down the rabbit hole of “what ifs” that the daily news delivers, we can remind ourselves that this panic isn’t from God. Fight back by doing what you need to focus on the truth of God’s peace amid difficult circumstances.

“But of power” – God’s Word has power. Declare it. Read passages of Scripture over your home, speak them out as you walk in your neighborhood and workplace. Pray them over your country and the world.

“And of love” – How is God inviting you to display and share His love? Be ready to encourage, bless others and share God’s love to those He places in your path.

“And a sound mind” – Look at the facts, rightly assess the threat, make healthy choices. Walk in the wisdom that God brings.

As we choose to trust in God, this can be a “David and Goliath” moment for believers. While the enemy tries to loom large and render the world powerless by instilling fear and panic, we have the opportunity to experience the bigness of our God as we trust in Him and declare His truth. As Hebrews 10:25 says, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” In the days ahead, let’s be carriers of the contagious peace and love that only Christ can bring! Amazing opportunities await us!