Lessons from the Pandemic

There’s no denying it. COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. To date, more than a million people have died from the disease, many more are still stricken and the death toll is still rising. The virus is still spreading exponentially and countries are enforcing lockdowns, implementing quarantine controls and limiting social gatherings to prevent its spread.

On the economic front, many businesses are also adversely affected. Many employees have lost their jobs resulting in financial hardship and strained family relationships. Some believe that economically, the worst is yet to come.

This pandemic has also affected our day-to-day life. Regular washing of hands, avoidance of face to face interaction, limited social interaction, social distancing, wearing of masks, doing safe-entry wherever we go and so on have become the “new normal”. These may seem like small, insignificant changes, but over time they add up and can make us feel like we are losing control over our lives.

Nonetheless, in spite of the pandemic giving us such a challenging time and changing the way we live, we need not despair. On the contrary, it can give us the impetus to live our lives better as God’s children:

Continue to Trust God

Looking at the deadly and devastating effects the unseen virus is still creating today, it is easy to lose faith and ask where is God in all these?  The Bible in 2 Cor 5:7 reminds that we are to “walk by faith, not by sight”. The object of our faith is God and His Word and not the things that are happening around us.  It is essential therefore that we do not lose heart and focus on God. It’s like when Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on water. As long has his focus was on Jesus, things went well. But when he began to look at the waves and feel the strong winds, suddenly his focus shifted from the Lord to the storm and he began to sink. Perhaps the Lord is stretching our faith during this season of time and when we come out of it, our faith can become stronger.

Speak Words of Encouragement

Spoken words are powerful. It can build us up or destroy us. When facing stressful times, it is easy to use harsh words and hurt someone. Eph 4:29-30 reminds us “not to let corrupt words proceed out of our mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers”.

So let us endeavour and choose to speak work of blessings and encouragement to those around us, some of whom may be facing challenging times, that they may be edified. Let them be assured that all they are facing is under control by our sovereign God.

Be Kind to Others

While Covid-19 can gives us testing times, we can choose to be “kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).

Kind acts like being friendly, considerate, generous, showing care and concern can improve the quality of life in the home, school, and workplace as well as in the community. It brings people together. Besides, showing kindness to others is just as rewarding as receiving it from someone else. It makes us feel good when you are kind to someone.

Take Good Care of Our Physical Body

In this trying time, we can choose to take care of our physical bodies. We can endeavour to properly nourish our bodies through eating healthily and having a well-balanced diet. God has created our physical bodies, and as good stewards, it is good that we take care of it. Exercising regularly is also essential. Besides helping us to stay fit, exercising can also boost our immune system to fight the virus and boost our well-being. So let us keep ourselves healthy so that we can serve Him in whatever capacity He calls us.

No one knows when this pandemic will end. But we know for sure that our God is sovereign in all situations. Let us thus not lose heart but continue to trust Him and live the lives that He calls us to in spite of what is happening around us.

By brother Thomas Teo (YCKC Bulletin 1 Nov 2020)