Fighting the Good Fight
What started off as a conflict that felt distant to us has become up close.
While the need for evacuation may not be frontline, the ripple effects caused by economic interdependance has become top-of-mind.
The prospect of a prolonged work-from-home scenario is no longer a disruption to the conventional, however lessons from the pandemic have proven that the dual effect of anxiety and boredom can have a significant impact on disciplines and even challenge our self-worth.
Recall the days when working spouses are suddenly a constant physical presence at home, mothers are coping with the need to cook more than usual while bored kids clamor for attention and extroverts are struggling with the sudden withdrawal of their social lives!
Bizarrely, despite possessing more time now than we ever probably had, we struggle to order our lives well.
So, should we as families redeem time when we are faced with unstructured schedules and are now always in each other’s faces? How should we, as believers, pursue spiritual disciplines when time is not at a premium as it usually is?
As we work through these questions, let us start with a quick look at five Christian principles to preserve during these unique days.
PRINCIPLE 1
Wake up from your slumber
In this present time, when you may not have to rush to work since the city has taken a detour from life in the fast lane, it is tempting to stay under your quilt. But, as those who are walking in step with the Spirit and seeking to understand these times we are in now, we must fight the temptation to hit the snooze button on the morning alarm!
Consider waking up when it is quiet, to listen to what your Maker has to say from his Word. Before you check unread messages, scroll through your long to-do list, or open up your daily news apps on your device and end up with a cluttered mind, consider bringing all of your emotions, thoughts, and your will before God.
Listen to what he has to say, be encouraged and equipped to face the day ahead. It is good to wake up early, not just because you have heard the old proverb “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” but also because the Lord himself models that for us:
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
PRINCIPLE 2
Cherish your body
With a possible work from home situation and restrictions that curb your usual social life, a lot of your day could be spent sitting. This has a detrimental effect on productivity and mental health. God’s temple always had dimensions and boundaries! So don’t push the limits in the New Covenant.
Yes, we are his temple and we don’t have literal measurements to abide by, but we must preserve biblical principles and patterns and take seriously the call to cherish our bodies in a God-honoring way (Phil 3:19; Rom 13:14; Eph 5:29). It is said that eating is the national hobby in this country. Food can be a temptation as we seek to alleviate boredom or search for short-term pleasure. But, these are not the days to indulge in food as entertainment, rather, we are to be of sober mind and to draw closer to God.
So make time for exercise - there are plenty of easy-to-follow workout videos on Youtube! You could even work out as a family. To make it even more enjoyable, continue lingering on thoughts that your soul just soaked in during your meditation on God’s Word or listen to some edifying music.
We do not want our complacent attitude to food, exercise, and overall health to become a hindrance to our faith or the ministry needs of the church as the years go by.
PRINCIPLE 3
Solitude is not a bad thing
Those who love life in the city can often hate solitude. Can we as believers enjoy these days that are not rushed and cultivate a spiritual discipline that many lack?
Consider withdrawing to a quiet corner each day. Jesus models this discipline for us as he often withdrew from the crowds to be with the Father (Mark 1:35; 6:46). If you are not a regular seeker of solitude, these days can help you develop a habit that would be a blessing even when our world gets noisy again.
Here are three simple ways to enjoy solitude:
1. Wait on God’s Word
After your study of God’s Word, consider sitting in silence for a while reflecting on what you have read. (This would look like alonger version of what we do in church towards the end of the service when we reflect on the sermon). We should not desire to read the Bible only but should want the Bible to read our lives as well. “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:23).
Have you had days when you are reading in the morning, and your little one, still half asleep, comes and leans on you? After a short while, she gets up and leaves without either of you having exchanged a word.
In a similar sense, have you ever come to the Father just to be with him? Most people come to God for what they want and not for who he is!
So, do not be disappointed if the passage has nothing that speaks to your specific need for the day. All of Scripture is a revelation of who God is, and so, just reflecting on his Word in silence is to delight in him.
2. Enjoy “being” before “doing”
In a culture that is entrenched with self-exaltation, we tend to find joy only in our achievements and overlook the joy of belonging to Jesus.
At this time, if you find that your importance in your workplace has diminished somewhat, remember that God loves you and you are not expendable in his sight. Fight the temptation to prove your worth to others. Let us be reminded by Jesus’ warning to his disciples not to delight in the joy that comes with success over the joy of belonging to him (Luke 10:20).
3. Consider Luke 12:24–28
"Consider the ravens…. Consider the lilies.” When was the last time you took these phrases seriously instead of just glossing over them?
Most people do not take seriously God’s command to “consider.” Have you ever paused at that text and looked out of your window to observe a flower or a bird in order to marvel at what an awesome Creator you serve? And then continue to listen to his words that follow, reminding us of how precious we are? “The birds neither sow nor reap; how much more valuable are we than they.”
This helps us overcome the anxiety caused by gazing at branded suits, painted lips, flashy cars, and having a bout of FOMO! God is so kind that he gives us all that we need and more than we deserve.
PRINCIPLE 4
Leverage time as families
After complaining about having no time as a family, are you now burdened with too much time where you are all getting on each other’s nerves?
Instead of getting cranky, let us focus on how to make the best of this forced bonding. These can be fun times to cook together, rearrange the furniture to beat the mundane ambience (it is also a creative way to clean up!), or to dust off those long-forgotten board games and get into some friendly family competition.
What would be more beautiful would be using this time to delight as families in your greatest joy — Jesus Christ.
To say we are bored often isn’t really Christian in a sense! If one day in his courts in better than a thousand elsewhere, then know that we have definitely more than a day made available to us right now. So huddle together to delight in studying and reading the Bible to know and love God more.
PRINCIPLE 5
Kneel more often
The Bible tells us to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers (Eph 6:18). These unprecedented events call for much prayer. During these difficult days, we need to stay on our knees longer than we usually do (Matt 26:41).
Let us express our helpless dependence on God and also find great assurance when we say “Amen” together at the throne of grace.
Find ways both individually and collectively as families or with friends online to schedule time slots specifically for intercession. Pray also that the Lord will raise a pruned church, knowing that the need for calloused knees is apparent to us in this season but might be forgotten as we try to, once this is all over, stand tall once again on our own feet!
