This week is an anniversary of which we would not like to remember, but that we would always do well to remember. It was this week two years ago that we closed the doors to the building in an effort to “flatten the curve” as our health advisors told us at the time. I am grateful to God for a state government that is not still restricting movement, mandating, or even keeping us locked down as I know many places are. However, we would also do well to think of some lessons we should learn from this and about this difficult time in our history.
Remember the gospel is not chained. The gospel doesn ’t depend on “ideal circumstances” to move forward. In fact, Paul was able to do some amazing work from his arrest, his trials, his prison cell and even before his death. We can appreciate the adaptation of the church to meet the needs of others and give opportunity for the gospel.
Remember faith in the wisdom of man is misplaced faith. The best guess of our health experts in 2020 was “two weeks to flatten the curve.” The lockdown and quarantining ultimately didn ’t accomplish the purpose for which our government and health officials purposed them. It reminds me that only God alone knows the future and only God alone gives wisdom for navigating the life that is and the life that is to come.
Remember none of us knows the future. COVID caught us by surprise, but nothing has ever caught God by surprise (Psalm 33:5 -11). If we leave God out of our plans and our planning, it doesn ’t matter how successful we might be, the Bible says we are foolish (Luke 12:15 -21; James 4:13 -17). For many, COVID was a wake -up call to say, “are we really prioritizing the things of God in the way that He is pleased with? ”
Remember that unity is based upon what we know for a fact about Jesus and His sacrifice. Remember that liberty in Christ is what we exercise or rein in based upon keeping a peaceful unity (Ephesians 4:1 -3). The last two years have found people more contentious, more dissatisfied, and more self -willed with regard to choices and liberty than perhaps any other time in the last 50 years. It tells us that we ALL still have a lot more maturing to do for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom. When the kingdoms of this world have perished, that really is all that will matter!
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