Keep Perspective
How you and I view life with all its multiplicity of experiences matters.
COVID-19 and all the accompanying ripple effects whether physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or otherwise continues to throw us all a curveball. We know God is sovereign. We know He is the divine orchestrater of life for His glory and our good. And we know He wants us to view life through His eternal lens rather than just a temporary one (2 Cor. 4:18).
But we can still be myopic and let the immediate human vantage point of our situation inform the way we experience life.
As reported by Breakpoint, COVID-19 is being used around the world to persecute our brothers and sisters in Christ in new ways that make our unpleasant circumstances appear insignificant by comparison. In no way am I trying to downplay significant losses (like a job, business, extended sickness, or death) or uncomfortable restrictions (like face coverings, social distancing) that many are experiencing. They are real and difficult.
BUT, we do need to keep an eternal perspective and see others who may be experiencing much worse.
Here are some ways COVID-19 is being used to persecute believers:
COVID-19 food relief is being used by some radical Hindu government officials to pressure Indian Christians to renounce their faith.
Other Indian Christians are last in line for aid, socially boycotted, not allowed to buy food or draw water in the local wells, nor given any law enforcement support.
In parts of Pakistan, Christian businesses are being shut down.
Nigerian Christians in the Kaduna State are receiving only one-sixth of the rations allocated to Muslim families.
Authoritarian governments are using COVID-19 to consolidate power and further restrict religious activities they deem a threat to their authority.
In China, a series of “strange and anonymous” messages on social media blamed Christian religious activities for a rise in COVID-19 in Hebei province even though it was fake news.
Satan can and will use any crisis as an opportunity to spread his lies about Christianity or mistreat God’s people.
As we continue to process our challenging circumstances, let’s keep a godly perspective: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18), and “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since your yourselves also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:7).
Pastor Jeff