Recently, the world has been thrown a curveball by an invisible opponent- COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus). It is a formidable opponent that indeed has disrupted our lives and thrown us off-balance. We are experiencing unforeseen changes that we could not have imagined and even new terminology like social distancing and self-isolation.
All of the changes and outcomes are not bad, however. Due to the pandemic, there are creative innovations, new business ideas and new ways of doing old business. Many of us think more carefully about our food, household items, sanitation, and hygiene. Of course, there are also unfortunate and catastrophic consequences as thousands contract the virus thousands die, and thousands are unemployed.
Sometime, in the future, this too shall pass but life as we knew it, lived it, and managed it will never completely be the same. So, what should we do and how should we react until the tide changes? As Christians and in keeping with the baseball curveball theme, consider this:
When life throws you a curveball, you can either get hit, swerve out of the way, or ask God for a bat and knock it out of the park. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
As much as possible, let’s try to knock it out of the park and find positive outcomes. If you are more isolated than normal, perhaps, draw closer to the Lord, pray more, read the Bible more, and learn to be more comfortable and content with a very special person – YOURSELF!
Perhaps, you have new ideas for doing things, ideas for a business, hobbies that you could do, or ideas for serving others. How about just making time to rest, exercise, and prepare yourself for the new adventures and plans that the Lord has for you. If you are less isolated in your home and in much closer contact for longer periods of time with other members of your household, consider ways to have greater connection and communication with them. Appreciate them, enjoy them, and don’t take them for granted for God will want them back one day.
The scripture, Psalm 41:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Never before has that been truer. God is surely trying to get our attention; He is letting us know that HE ALONE IS GOD and HE IS GOD ALONE as the beautiful song by Marvin Sapp states. Who could have imagined that all major sports from March Madness to the Olympics would be cancelled; that school as we know it from preschool to college would be cancelled; limited shoppers in grocery stores; no meals with friends and family in restaurants; no visitors to loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes. These are only a few disruptions in our lives and only with God can we overcome these events.
Focus on Romans 8:37 that tells us that: “in all things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus our Lord.”
We not only have victory over Satan and sin but over the afflictions of this world. Let’s knock these curveballs out of the park.