God Is Speaking Are You Listening? The COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19, a global pandemic

The entire world is being affected by COVID-19 and it is being referred to as a global pandemic. It didn’t take long for us to see the devastating effects of this novelle coronavirus. Words like lockdown, quarantine, and social distancing were being echoed on the media to describe our new normal. 

The coronavirus has forced everyone to leave behind the familiar daily routines that we’ve all grown so accustomed to. People are out of work, kids are out of school, relationships suffer from limited interactions because of social distancing. A person cannot step foot inside of any business establishment without wearing a protective covering or mask over their nose and mouth. Habitual hand washing has led to people complaining of peeling, cracked, and bleeding hands as we continue to heed the recommendations of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization). Hoping to prevent further spreading of COVID-19. Like it or not, we have been assigned as key players in “flattening the curve”.

Lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing

While people are being forced to remain within their homes, people are using this free time to voice their frustrations on the internet. There is an overflow of personal opinions being heard among communities all over the world. It’s important to not only regard our situations by what we can see but also by the unseen spiritual implications behind it all. 

The world today differs vastly from the world we lived in just 30 years ago. We are more preoccupied than ever before with the constant influx of information at our fingertips. We are rushing to get ahead or struggling to catch up, but whichever of the two, we are constantly racing the clock. Busy days followed by exhausted nights leave very limited time for prayer and bible reading. Failing to stay diligent in making time for the Lord daily can quickly snowball into many negative outcomes. Unfortunately, most believers including myself at times, prioritize their days completely backward, with the mindset that suggests putting everything else first, and if there is time leftover that is the time you designate to your relationship with God. Scripture provides us with insight on what proper prioritization should be in verses like; Matthew 6:33 that says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. (KJV)

God Is Speaking

A few weeks ago, at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, God revealed something powerful and humbling to me. While people were vainly spending their time debating over whether the virus was an intentional bioweapon maliciously let loose on humanity. While others suggest COVID-19 was a naturally occurring virus uninfluenced by human interaction. Rather than seeking to pinpoint the conception of this specific strain of coronavirus, God led me to a unique perspective of COVID-19, being quarantined, and social distancing. Once you take your focus off of the origins of how this pandemic came to be and look at this situation through a spiritual lense, it is clear to see what is taking place during this time.

Then the thought came to me with such reverence, that only our God, the Creator of all, could allow the entire world to stop moving as it usually does. It is as if God has put his metaphorical foot down and declared life as we know it to be interrupted, disturbing our usual ways of life and daily routines to call our attention to him. A global pandemic is one of those situations that stop people in their tracks and causes them to consider a greater power. Whether it be by fear of the pandemic itself, questioning why it is happening, or noticing the mass scale of cases being reported, it all leads one to consider something or someone greater than themselves in control. If we shift our perspective from the question of “How did this happen?” to “Why is this happening?”, it doesn’t take long to see the bigger picture. 

Calling all idols

Not only has God allowed the screeching halt of everyday life to occur, but he has also at the same time stripped away many of the idols in our lives. Everyone is being affected by this single event, from the workaholics to the overachieving parents running their kids around to extra-curricular clubs, or the gambling addict who spends their days sitting inside a casino. Never in my lifetime has one event not only affected the entire world but also shut it down. It’s as if God is saying to every human being across the world to stop what they are doing and consider him. By bringing to a standstill life as we know it, God has stripped away the idols of many people at the same time. 

The definition from the King James Bible defines idolatry as 1. the worship of idols, images, or anything made by hands, or which is not God. Idolatry is of two kinds; the worship of images, statues, pictures made by hands; and the worship of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and stars, or of demons, angels, men, and animals. 2. Excessive attachment or veneration for anything, or that which borders on adoration.

Modern-day idolatry

If someone surveyed Christians on whether they felt they were guilty of committing idolatry daily, what do you think most would answer?  I predict most Christians would likely answer no; they are not guilty of daily idolatry.  This is because most people when they hear the word idolatry think only of the worshipping of statues and/or graven images and false gods. We should not restrict our definition of idolatry to only hand made idols and graven images. Definition 2 defines idolatry as also being anything that we exalt or anything we put in place of God or above him. With this added definition in mind, we can further examine ourselves to see whether we are in error of this. 

Another misconception about idolatry is the belief that idolatry can only be committed with things that are bad or evil. We can use things that are generally good and not evil to commit idolatry. For instance, there is nothing wrong with being a hard worker or enjoying sports and other hobbies in your free time. Likewise, caring for our children and loved ones are all outstanding things. But these good things can easily become idolatry if we cannot correctly prioritize them in relation to God. Anything that we put before God immediately becomes exalted and therefore idolized. How many Christian men skip out on church on Super Bowl Sunday, or leave the church service early to catch a game? This is an example of something that isn’t necessarily evil, like football being put above God.

Don’t let this opportunity pass by

Because we are under lockdown orders, most of us no longer have access to the things we would usually exalt above and before God. I would like to urge you to use this time wisely. Seek God in prayer and read and learn God’s word. There are many online resources out there that you can use to jumpstart your time with the Lord. You can find free lists of Bible study topics, you can start a prayer journal, start bible journaling, and much more. Our time with God does not have to be limited to prayer and bible reading, though both are crucial. Sometimes I hear best from God when I am bible journaling while listening to praise and worship or talking to Him.

Drawing near to God will lower your levels of stress and anxiety and will bring much-needed peace and comfort. Shut off the endless loop of media coverage on the COVID-19 that breeds fear, stress, and confusion. Remember, no matter what you see with your eyes or hear with your ears, our hope rests in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t allow the enemy or the world to steal your peace. God has not called us to live in perpetual fear or confusion. He called us to stand firm in our faith, knowing without a doubt that Jesus Christ has power, authority, and dominion over ALL.