WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR RESPONSE TO THE WORLD AROUND US?

The world around us has unraveled as this coronavirus has taken hold of bodies, hearts, and minds, and for those who don’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour, their fears are real.

What has been the most interesting during this time have been the responses from those who do know Jesus.

These are some of their responses/comments that have come our way over the last six weeks:

1 – Several wanted to know if this is a sign of the end times, to which our response was, “How do we know?”

If it were the end times, how would that change your response?

Does this thought make you more fearful?

Do you now only draw closer to God because maybe the end is near?

2 – Others have been gripped by fear, just as those are who don’t know Jesus.

For Christians, it’s always a win-win. Whether we are protected and healed or taken home through God’s mercy and sovereignty, we still win! But if we live in colossal fear, it begs a few questions:

Are we not confident in our salvation?

Are we not confident in God’s perfect plan for our lives while here on earth?

Are we not confident that God works everything out for those who love Him?

…and if not, how then can we minister peace and salvation through God with others?

3 – A bunch of them have responded as self-professed “Super Humans,” who don’t feel the need to comply with anything. These Christians are the same group who make other Christians feel like they have no faith in God whatsoever if they choose to live with caution and who are not willing to lick to handle of the shopping cart at the grocery store.

4 – Then, there is the beloved who doesn’t know how to feel about the situation and ask others what their response should be. Well, what if that other person’s response is off? From whom then should you be getting your guidance?

5 – And finally, the most recent responses are from the those that tell you to ignore everything because it’s a hoax. Could that even be a lie from the enemy trying to disarm us? I don't know.

Here is what I have learned:

Two years ago, I finished eight rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma from which I have fully recovered, Praise God.  It was the most extraordinary time, and God’s peace, which passes all understanding and logic, flooded my heart and mind. I did not have peace because of what the doctors told me. I did not have peace because of science. I didn’t even have peace because of what Christians told me. I had peace because of my relationship with God through Jesus.

Some around me were freaking out for me and didn’t understand that it was a win-win for me.

Other Christians were disappointed that I was going through with treatment and believed that God’s instantaneous healing was the only way God works and that if it didn’t happen that way, it was because I had little faith.

In a nutshell, people expected me to focus on them, their responses, and their wishes for me, and if mine was different than theirs, then I had the problem.

Instead, God gave me peace, and with that peace, I was able to share the Gospel with many hospital staff, other cancer patients, friends, and family, one of whom received Christ!!

What we all have to do is stay focussed on God and know that He works everything out for those who love Him, and as a result, HE gets all the glory, all the time!

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Here’s the reality. We should focus on Jesus’s responses (the Bible) only, instead of asking other people what our responses should be, or force our responses on others, as people are doing right now through COVID-19. Let’s each seek God, and the truth in His Word, and ask for His guidance in our individual lives. What God’s plan is for one person, may not be the plan He has for another. Everyone’s circumstances are different.

It’s time to dig deeper into our relationships with Jesus. Jesus is Lord of our lives as Christians. We don’t make other Christians our Lord. We don’t make the church our Lord. We don’t make our community our Lord. We don’t make the news and society our Lord. Nor do we make our family our Lord. It’s when we worship Jesus as Lord, that we can then have a positive influence on these other relationships (community, family).

Therefore:

1 – If you are fearful of what is happening, then revisit your relationship with Jesus.

2 – If this is a sign of the end times, then reconsider your relationship with Jesus.

3 – If you think you are a “Super-Christian,” then remember humility and that God is Sovereign.

4 – If you are looking to other Christians on how you should act – stop it! Look to Jesus. It’s your relationship.

5 – If you think this is a conspiracy, remember that nothing happens without God’s knowledge.

Philippians 4:6-7  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So:

Stop complaining that things are too strict or too lax.

Stop comparing yourself to other Christians.

Stop looking to others for their approval of how you respond.

Instead:

Deepen your relationship with God.

Spend time in the Word.

Spend time in prayer.

Spend time listening to God.

Show love to others.

Allow the Holy Spirit to move in you, through you, and for you.

Our Sovereign God is in control. To God be all the Glory

Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.Mark 1:12-13  12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.