“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12: 12 NIV)
I have not been in a pandemic before. When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, I thought the pandemic and the lockdown would last maybe for a only couple months. I did not imagine that now, September of 2020, we are still in the middle of a pandemic with many countries in the world still struggling to contain the coronavirus. It has been an unusual past six months to say the least.
I last wrote in the April 2020 issue of Resonance Connections. At the time, none of us knew exactly how COVID-19 would affect our daily lives. I wrote about how we should prepare for the pandemic. I encouraged us that we, as a church, ought to have the following attitudes:
- Ready but Not Afraid
- Physically Separated but Spiritually Connected
- Time to Rest but Ready to Serve
As we are journeying into September, how should we move forward as a church body?
Joyful in Hope
For most people, it has been difficult to be joyful in the past six months. However, as Christians, we have joy because we have hope. Our joy does not depend on our circumstances because our hope also does not depend on our circumstances. Our joy comes from our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ because our hope is based on the work already done on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ.
“True joy is not the absence of pain but the sanctifying, sustaining presence of our Lord Jesus, in the mist of the pain.” (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)
“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence [and the reassured hope] that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” (Rick Warren)
We sometimes do not “feel joy” (which really is happiness that is dependent on our circumstances). However, our faith in Christ ultimately brings true joy into our soul because of our eternal hope which comes from the love of God demonstrated from the sacrifice that Christ have done on the cross for each one of us. Let us remember to be joyful in hope as we look forward to a better future.
Patient in Affliction
Six months is a long time, and I have noticed myself losing patience at times. I find myself asking God, “Are we there yet?” Like many others in the 21st century, I want things my way, promptly. I wish the pandemic to be over, now. Rapid resolution, quick fix, speedy recovery is what everyone wants. It is what I want.
But the Bible teaches us that patience is a virtue. We are asked to persevere in our suffering. This is because we know that “suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5 NIV).
I don’t know all of our individual circumstances. Some of us may be going through a tougher time than others. But we are all in this together. God is with us. Let us be patient in our affliction as we journey through this difficult time together.
Faithful in Prayer
We need to keep praying for the next six months and beyond. The Bible tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
Prayer helps us with our anxiety and worries during uncertain times. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last. During this time, we are to faithfully pray to God for guidance in our lives. We are to pray to God for protection over our family. We are to pray for each other in our church community. We are to pray for leaders of our church and our nation. We are to pray for those in need. Let us be faithful in prayer, as we face this time of uncertainty.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance [patience] finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God [pray], who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:2-5 NIV)