I don’t mind change. Actually, I even like some changes. However, what has been most troubling lately, is that the Coronavirus has changed almost everything. And it is still changing things. It is changing our culture, our families, our relationships, our education, media and even—dare I say it, the church. I have a word for you–ADAPT. That five letter word is the answer to the six letter word CHANGE.
Our world is facing a serious plague. What this pandemic has caused is uncertainty, hopelessness and so much more. This virus is being blamed for all the riots, politics and raw emotions people are expressing. I’m sure you understand that the turmoil in our nation may be “caused” by Coronavirus around the world but the root of the problem is not actually caused by the Coronavirus. It is simply the symptom that has brought to light the real issue—SIN. Without God, there is no hope. People who do not have hope do strange things. Nothing we do can make Covid 19 go away. Nor can we go back in time to the way things were.
When I was young, around 9 or 10, I vividly remember lying on the concrete driveway and in our front yard, staring up into the sky. I wondered what I would be when I grew up. Would I be a police officer, a fireman, a soldier, a businessman, etc.? The possibilities were endless. Being an optimist, I imagined myself making a difference in the world.
Reality as an adult is quite different than the imaginations of a child. I have to make decisions every day. I must decide what is best for my life and those whose lives I impact. Sometimes I make good decisions and sometimes I make bad decisions. The difference in my life is my relationship with God. I am forgiven. I am loved. I am redeemed and a child of Almighty God. I don’t deserve it nor could I earn it. Because of God’s grace and mercy, I am saved.
Because of my relationship with God, He called me into the ministry. As a child, I never imagined that I would be a Baptist Minister. Today, I’m grateful that I am. God has not only saved me but called me to a task that I cannot do on my own. Every day, God teaches me. He disciplines me and guides me. He has prepared me for Covid 19 and all the things that come with it. I was called for such a time as this.
So were you. God has prepared you for this. There is hope. God will see us through. Together, we will be stronger, wiser and better prepared to face anything that life and/or Satan may throw at us. Our life is eternal because of what Jesus did for you and me on the cross. In this life or the next, we are firmly in His hands.
With that being said, God has prepared us to ADAPT. We can and we will become what God desires us to be. He has not left us alone. He is faithful. He WILL finish what He has started. The changes that we are experiencing are simply curves in our journey of faithful living for His glory. One thing remains, while we are still on this earth living this life, there are still people who need hope. There are people who need to know that God loves them and has a plan for them. They do not have to walk in fear. Jesus is still the answer.
