Spiritual Applications of COVID-19
Charlotte Geesey
(Charlotte shared these devotional thoughts at a recent YES! board meeting. Gary & Charlotte are on a missionary assignment in Japan, and Gary serves on the YES! board of directors. With our shared global pandemic experiences, Japan suddenly seemed closer and less foreign on this last Zoom call … We’re in this together.)
By now, we’re all aware of COVID-19 best-practice PHYSICAL guidelines:
Washing hands
Wearing face masks
Staying sheltered
Essential workers
Outcomes
But let’s take a moment to consider SPIRITUAL parallels:
1. Wash hands- clean hands/pure heart
● Ps 24:3-4 AMP “Who may ascend onto the mountain of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, Nor has sworn [oaths] deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Clean hands will not allow themselves to be used to commit sinful actions, or to put sinful thoughts (when they occur) into effect.
2. Face mask- Studies show most benefit comes from keeping our mouth from infecting others, causing us-to-others contamination.
● Proverbs 13:3; “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
● Ephesians 4:29; "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
3. Stay sheltered
● Psalms 27:1 The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?
● Psalms 91:1-6 “Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty “can say to him, “You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust.”” He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you. You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.”
● Psalms 46:10 BE STILL and know I am God..
And then it’s time to take a deep breath and slow down—get an overall picture, and maybe we want to consider what we want to fill our lives with.
4. Essentials- Let’s keep the main things the main thing
● Luke 10:42 Jesus to Martha, ”You’re troubled by many things, only one thing is necessary.”
WORSHIP at His feet. Seek first the kingdom.
● Matthew 6:31-34 GNB ““So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own.
5. Outcomes that we’re striving for::
● Spiritual health/wellness/wholeness
● New ways of living, new perspective
● Becoming thoroughly equipped to do what God has called us to do
● Ready to go out
Colossians 3:12-17 We clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We bear with one another, and we forgive each other, if there is any offense between us. We forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us. And over everything we put on LOVE, which binds us all together into a Perfect unity.
The PEACE of Christ rules in our hearts, which we are all called to because we are members of each other in the same Body. And we are THANKFUL! We let the Word of Christ dwell among us richly. We teach and encourage one another with all wisdom. Through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, we sing with gratitude in our hearts to the Lord.
Whatever we say or do, we do it all in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Bottom Line: How/what we do may change through this pandemic and at other seasons of life, but our motivation/focus remains the same: All glory to Jesus.