by Chad Koons
Where is God in the pandemic? Is it judgment? Will God stop it?
The virus has greatly impacted Italy, Spain, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other nations on the earth. Personally, I do not believe that the virus is the judgment of God. I believe that the Lord is right where He always is, that He is listening to our prayer and moving with His Church when they move. And I do believe that it will be stopped. But this is not a post on “why do bad things happen,” nor is this is a sermon about surrounding topics. I’ve been listening to how we have been responding to this crisis, and now I’m going to speak.
We are in a CRUCIAL moment in the history of the world, especially for the Church. How do we respond?
Christians have been saying quite a lot about the pandemic. Some good, a lot of bad. Let’s see if any of the following sounds familiar.
Here’s what Christians are saying:
Let me give you positive thoughts and encouragement!
You don’t have enough faith… so I’m going to criticize you for it!
This is the judgment of God!
Trust God, it’ll all work out.
Build your faith, here are some Scriptures…
Take this more seriously and protect the weakest among us, you idiots!
Be wise, wash your hands, and practice social distancing.
Wisdom is a code word for fear, ignore restrictions and have more faith!
Let’s do a prayer chain!
Be informed: here are the facts and statistics as theY play out…
Take it easy everyone, don’t panic!
This is horrible, I’m panicking!
We are in the end times!
I don’t know what to do so let’s joke about it!
This is all government-planned… have you heard my latest conspiracy theory?
Look at your Church, Jesus! Aren’t You proud of us?! If you can’t say “amen,” at least you can say “ouch.” Christians, what have we become? Or what have we already been? This crisis has not made us this way, it has simply revealed who we actually were. I suspect that many of us will eat our words if we haven’t already, yet I also suspect that we will learn a great deal from this whole disaster, if we are open and teachable.
To those with ears, let them hear.
Our response matters. More than any other voice, your voice as a follower of Christ matters and carries much weight. The world doesn’t need our commentary unless it is the cure, the very words of life.
We need comfort in this time, but we also need building up. We need strength. We need faith. Here are some key points that I am remembering in this crazy season that we find ourselves in:
1. Jesus hasn’t changed – Do you deeply understand that Jesus is STILL the same? There isn’t a passive version of Jesus, and there isn’t a denominational version of Him, either. He is the same as He is described in the Word of God. How does that impact your expectation of Him and His power in your life? Acts 10:38. And I’ll just say it: John 14:12.
2. The Lord is not shaken – Just read this and tell me what you think: He remains your very able help and rock of salvation. Read this a few times and build your faith for real.
3. Healing and protection are still in the Lord – Do you pray? Tell the Lord that you remember Psalm 91 and read it aloud before Him in prayer. Make your home in Him. Do not be afraid to have faith in the Lord for protection and healing.
4. We have been through this before – There is nothing new under the sun. Pandemics have come and gone, and this one will pass, too. See above!
5. There is work for you to do – Take courage. Stand up, Man of God! Stand up, Woman of God! You are NOT defeated. The Kingdom needs you, go look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are the Ambassador for Christ to the world surrounding you! Now go do something about it.
Beloved, DO NOT BE AFRAID. See who God is and say what God says. Will you be the most wise and mature version of you that you can be? Do not spread division. Do not spread fear. Do not spread conspiracy. In this season, you have been given the unique platform of being the light of the Lord to a people in the grip of social, economic, and personal terror. What will you do with this opportunity? I know what I need to do.
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3 comments:
Thank you for your clear, concise and engaging "wake up call." It centers us and reminds us of the Word's promises and
covenant, and how our behavior should mirror it.
Thank you for providing such a powerful mirror for us to see ourselves, warts and all.
Blessings to you and yours.
Nice post..its almost like grief counseling.i think we have all experienced waves of the pandemic.especially the conspiracy theories.remember philippians 4.8
This is such a great reminder to "speak the truth in love"! Jesus tells us to do this and we must do both facets of this statement. We shouldn't compromise with what we say, go with the world, speak half truths, or be silent. We should speak the truth! We know what the truth is by the Word so our speech should be seasoned with the unshakeable truth found in it.
However, like you pointed out, many times we don't do this in love. I have been guilty of this myself before. Love is what will build people up to see the truth. This is a word in due season that all of us need to hear! Thank you for this!
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