Whether you like it or not, chances are you have been affected by covid-19. The question is will you waste your encounter with the pandemic or not.
As I write this, the WHO website shows that there are more than 200,000 persons infected by covid-19 in 166 countries with fatalities breaching 8,600. Directly or indirectly, our lives have been changed massively in recent days.
Here in the Philippines, there is almost total lockdown of Metro Manila and in numerous other places. Not a few of us have been staying at home for long periods of time. To countless office workers such prolonged stay in the confines of their homes is a new experience.
If one is not careful, this extended hiatus will simply go to waste (hello, Netflix!). Not only that, this experience could make a person worse if he/she falls into sinful/bad habits while on “vacation”.
How then can we avoid wasting our covid-19 experience?
First, without long hours of commute, this time is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our lives. We can look at the historical trend and the likely future trajectory of our relationships and careers. Maybe you need to rekindle our romance with your spouse or you need to be more involved with your kids’ life. Or perhaps your career is going nowhere and some radical changes are needed.
For the Christian, this is an opportune time to assess our relationship with God and our brethren. The Puritans recommended regular self-examination, an art that has been lost in the cacophony of noise that surrounds us today. Ask yourself whether you have a healthy personal and public time to worship God. Are you growing in love to the Lord Jesus and in holy living. After all, to love God above all is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). In addition, check how you relate to other people. Do you seek to love others as yourself (Matthew 22:39)? How is relationship with your church mates or office mates? What do you need to change for the better?
Second, learn something new. For those in the metro, work from home means saving 2-4 hours of travel time. With one month of quarantine, this maybe the time to finally learn that hobby, like guitar or piano playing. Catching up on reading good books is also a great way to occupy your time. I recently discovered audio-books and they have really speeded up my reading pace.
Third, realize that life is finite and we are not in control. Covid-19 is a wake up call that we are but creatures, limited in space and time. I watched with fascination as the leaders of world’s mightiest nations fumble their way through the pandemic. Our God is the creator and ruler of the universe. What a blessing for the Christian to remember that Jesus is the Great Physician. A time will come when He will conquer all illnesses and death once and for all. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4). Praise Him indeed!
Older
Top
