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“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” Isaiah 26:3

Whether or not you are physically ill from it, COVID-19 has infected everyone. For some of us, this pandemic hasn’t yet made a big difference to our daily lives…for others of us, it has changed, well, everything. For all of us, though, there are health concerns, general anxiety and fear, financial uncertainty. This is really hard.

But, as believers, we have something that much of our nation does not: Faith and hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, let’s agree to do two things throughout this crisis:

1) Let’s LIVE this truth.
As challenging as it may be, we must embrace supernatural peace amid the chaos, and choose love and grace in response to the growing vitriolic attitudes around us. Solitude and isolation naturally create discouragement and anger…be very careful. You may be alone all day, every day. You may share a home with family members—a home that seems to shrink exponentially with every passing moment. Spend time with the Lord. Talk with Him, meander around your house with Him, cry to Him, rest in Him. When we intentionally focus on Jesus, we are promised that a peace passing understanding will guard our hearts and minds (Phil 4:7, emphasis mine). And because nothing makes sense right now, this promise is exactly the thing we need most.

2) Let’s SHARE with others the reason for our hope.
With little to no contact with others, it is difficult to share the love of Jesus. If we go for a walk outside or make a grocery run, we can’t come within six feet of others…and with the pervasive fear, few people want to make eye contact or talk in these situations. If we are blessed to still be working, we are probably at home, perhaps occasionally connected via phone or video meetings. So, what can we do? First and foremost, we can pray for others, from our President (and other leaders in this crisis) to the neighbors we’ve never met living around us. Take every opportunity to share joy and hope with others that you do come in contact with—smile, be positive, and don’t engage in all the political and cultural ire. Find creative ways to love your neighbors, through group emails or maybe porch drop-offs of cookies or an encouraging note.

If we can focus on attempting these two things daily, we will be a great light in the surrounding darkness. But there’s one more thing…let’s make sure to be kind and gracious to the people with whom we are quarantined. These are probably the ones in our lives we love the most. But they’re also the very people on whom we are most likely to take out our daily frustrations and anxiety. Let’s love them best.

“Lord, help me keep my thoughts on You throughout the day. Let me focus on You above the world’s chaos and share Your love and peace with others.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Ministry