(3 Minute Read)

In spite of nearly every person on earth offering up their opinion on the coronavirus, I want to give you mine. This will be a quick post because I don’t want to add to the noise and the clutter of life, so if you feel overwhelmed by the amount of opinions you are reading from, simply exit out of this one and come back another time. Or don’t, the choice is up to you. 

Every choice is up to you. 

I think that’s what we will observe the most about this new sickness sweeping across the world. We are powerful beings, with powerful choices, that have the capacity to change the world around us.

When I first heard about the coronavirus, and what it was doing to the people in China, I was instantly reminded of some of the early Christian churches. Christianity didn’t always look like it does today, both the good and the bad. Some of the early-centuries of church history are actually historically known for Christian people’s utter disregard for their own well-being in the face of leprosy and some of the diseases that wiped out the people around them. Leprosy swept through and killed many of the Roman citizens around them. And if it didn’t kill them, they were left by their families and friends on the streets to die. In the midst of all of this, these Jesus followers (who were hated by the Romans) left the safety and security of their own “self” to look after, care for, and ultimately love, the “other” by feeding, nursing, investing in, and uniting their lives to those who had no one.

Could this be the key to our situation(s) today? To come and aid the ones who are both: unable to aid themselves, and disregarded by the ones around them? Especially, the ones who might hate us (or we might hate)? I believe this is the key to overcoming the pandemic, and the main thing for all Christians to consider, as we awaken each day during this new season of life.

This means protecting those who cannot protect themselves. It’s a fact now that this virus is hitting hardest the elderly, and those already prone to sickness. So it’s our responsibility (our choice) to protect the individuals who fall into these categories. This could mean you stay away from situations where you might run into someone in this category. Yes, it could mean you give up your vacation, or your favorite restaurants, or even your income if you need to stay away from work for others’ sake. That’s an extremely scary and unsettling thought, and I think it’s something we all should sift through and weigh very carefully. But this is what love for the “other” could look like. 

It’s trusting that my Father sees all of my actions, and that He knows all my desires and my cares, and He will protect and lead me, especially when I give up my life in service of others.

I’m not saying you have to go out to the streets of your neighborhood and bring people into your home, but if you are prompted to, then you should. Nor should you put yourself in dangerous situations just for the thrill or adventure, that’s not biblical. But if the God we follow (or claim to follow) laid His life down in love, shouldn’t we do the same? Shouldn’t each new day (filled with the coronavirus or not) be an opportunity to give something of ourselves in exchange for a new characteristic of our Jesus and the power He freely gives? 

Prayer will be one of the most powerful weapons we use to save those around us. Whether it’s prayer in response to the situations we face, or prayer for the “other” people in our lives, I believe we will look back on this moment in history and recognize how God’s hand moved because His children prayed. In the face of anxiety, fear, and worry, the most significant and impactful thing we can do is lift our eyes off of the current situation, and toward the Creator of the universe in trust and faith. When we don’t know how to serve the “other”, prayer opens our eyes to the ‘who’ and the ‘how’ in every situation—who needs help, and how specifically can I offer it. Prayer is our weapon.

Whatever it is for you, however you choose to serve and let Holy Spirit lead the offering of your life, it will, without a doubt, change the world around you. That’s the power of love—it knows no other option but to transform the current death-bound situation into springs, and then rivers, of new-life.

The greatest problem we could ever solve during these times is not, “What do I need to do to prepare and protect myself?” but rather, “How can I protect, serve, and love ‘others’?”

To be a Christian is to live like Jesus did, which is to come to the aid of those who are in need, with full faith and full assurance that our Father in Heaven is watching over us. Outside of the coronavirus, but especially within it, the world needs to know they are not alone. They need to know this is not “it”—that they are worth more than what their time on earth has to say. They need hope. We all need hope. And as a Jesus follower, we have that hope. 

So yes, take precautions, but don’t neglect the children of God around you in pursuit of your own life (Luke 17:33). 

We do not live in fear, for we know the One who conquers all!

We do, however, live our lives in such a way that we no longer focus so much on ourselves, but on those around us. 

That’s a Jesus follower.

Psalm 121 (TPT)

I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help.
But then I realize that our true help and protection
come only from the Lord,
our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.
He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall.
God is my keeper; he will never forget nor ignore me.
He will never slumber nor sleep;
he is the Guardian-God for his people, Israel.
Jehovah himself will watch over you;
he’s always at your side to shelter you safely in his presence.
He’s protecting you from all danger both day and night.
He will keep you from every form of evil or calamity
as he continually watches over you.
You will be guarded by God himself.
You will be safe when you leave your home
and safely you will return.
He will protect you now,
and he’ll protect you forevermore!

For more on hope, follow this link — https://youtu.be/rlTYgVi-PFE. 

With all hope and love,

Seth