My wife and I were going through our normal bedtime routine. Getting ourselves tucked in and comfy for our mini-hibernation. Just then Karen pops a question that doesn't surprise me at all: "what's our plan for tomorrow?" The first thing that went shooting through my head was something along these lines: "I was thinking of taking one of our kids out to breakfast, then maybe getting the rest of them and bumming around Cabelas or Costco, then we can take Ben to soccer practice and maybe we can have some people over for some games in the evening." Then I came to my senses and realized, "wait a second, none of that is going to happen...absolutely none of it."
You might have an entire Saturday staring you in the face with nowhere to go and no one to see. The reality of the quarantine settles in much like a first snow reminds you that you are going to have to deal with winter for the season. It is a time that most Americans have never had to deal with and probably never even imagined that they ever would. While there are huge economic concerns along with fears of getting sick or watching loved ones get sick, there are some silver linings to this that Christians can be thankful to God for. Here are three things to consider as you approach your quarantine.
God wants You To Slow Down and Gain Perspective: Christians should start with this premise, God is sovereign and this quarantine is no mistake. If this is true then God is for us in this mandated time to slow down. Most people's schedules are loosening up, or at least they have more time to spend at home. I am aware that for some the complications of learning to function within the current limitations has added stress, not removed it. Yet it seems generally true that people today are doing less because so many activities are cancelled. Don't miss the fact that when our routines are thrown off it opens up our thinking to new possibilities. Suddenly Biblical truth must find application where it didn't have to prior to March 12. There are new dynamics within your home and the people around you which means you are challenged to apply Scripture in ways you probably have not had to yet. It is in these situations that God graciously gets our attention and speaks to us. Don't miss it. Realize that God sovereignly knew that this was coming even though it took us by surprise. Realize that in our disorientation, God is using it to re-orient us more purely on his word and truth. Pray that God will give you his perspective through this time so that when life goes back to normal you won't be returning to the same place, spiritually speaking, that you left off at. May you gain new patterns and priorities and uses of time that stick with you beyond our return to normal.
God wants To Address Your Marriage: Most likely your home ran like a well-oiled machine prior to this quarantine. Most likely being home more than usual and having to share living quarters for more of your life has caused a little, shall we say, friction? Maybe one of you, particularly the more extroverted one, has a difficult time being bottled up at home without any of the usual outlets that they have come to rely upon. Perhaps the wintry weather we have had hasn't been our ally in this either. These circumstances can cause us to be on edge and live our lives on the brink of bubbling frustration. Throw in some stir crazy kids to push all your buttons and we have a situation that is ripe for tension. Dad will have his way of handling the situation that might undercut what mom usually does. Now the well oiled machine feels more like a jalopy that needs an appointment. Married couples should remember that the change of dynamics doesn't create difficulties, it reveals problems that already exist. Every marriage needs growth in communication, conflict resolution, headship and submission to name a few. The change in dynamics gives new opportunity for husbands to love their wives as Christ love the church and for wives to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:25, 22).
God wants to Quarantine You To Himself: If you stop and think about the dynamics of this quarantine it is really fascinating. Most of us live lives that are really fast paced and filled with busyness. Amazingly, this development moves us closer to the lifestyle of a monk than that of a 21st century American with 5g capabilities. Not that living as a monk is the ideal, the point here is that there are benefits to that lifestyle that all Christians should consider. To grow as a Christian you need time. To hear the voice of God we need to slow down and listen to the voice of God through meditation on Scripture. These are all gifts that God has bestowed on his people through this season of quarantine. Don't miss the fact that God hasn't just given his church the gift of time but the gift of himself as you slow down to meditate on his word and learn (or re-learn) to be still in his presence (Psalm 46:10).
It would be easier to write a blog about the negatives of the quarantine. Those might seem obvious. I hope this gives you some perspective on how this time is positive, and how it is a unique opportunity for the people of God to grow closer to him. Here's to praying that when life returns to normal that we come back to each other with a depth and gravity of having been in the presence of Christ.
In Him,
Pastor Kevin
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