As the coronavirus has reached a pandemic level, the situation can seem overwhelming. But before despairing, hit the “pause button” and consider the hand of God.
Instead of shouting, “Enough! I can’t take this anymore,” think about what God is teaching you. And then ask yourself how your marriage could be an example of unwavering faith for your children or grandchildren.
3 Things to Consider in a Crisis
At times like this, here are three things worth remembering:
Do not allow your heart to be overwhelmed by troubles you do not understand
Troubling times are not new and they do not take God by surprise.
When God created the earth, it was perfect. Despite this, Adam and Eve chose to rebel against Him. And we are still reaping the results of their decision to disobey. What troubles have you experienced in your life?
I grew up in the age of Vietnam when there was great unrest on some city streets and college campuses. And who could forget the horrors of 911? Do you remember back in 2009 and 2010 when the Swine Flu was a global pandemic?
Yes, there are so many troubles that often weigh our hearts down. But we are told in John 14:1, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
Do not demand to understand things that have no earthly answers
Often the first question that comes to my mind in difficult situations is, “Why?” What would happen if instead I found contentment in the “Who.”
Corrie ten Boom told a true story in her book, The Hiding Place, that helps us understand what this kind of trusting contentment looks like:
“And so seated next to my father in the train compartment, I suddenly asked, ‘Father, what is sexsin?’
He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case off the floor and set it on the floor.
‘Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?’ he said.
I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.
‘It’s too heavy,’ I said.
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.’ ”
Do look to the character of God and trust His purposes
Remember that He is the One who understands all things and is all powerful. He is the One who orchestrates solar eclipses, when the moon passes between the Earth and sun.
Yes, He is the one who causes our sun to rise and set every single day. And He “shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)
God’s Faithfulness
In my new book One-of-a-Kind Grandparent Connection, Chapter 10 is devoted to life lessons. What have you learned from your from successes, failures, struggles, and regrets? Our nation is struggling now because of the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s a great time to remember God’s faithfulness.
What national crisis have you already weathered—perhaps 911 or a devastating hurricane, tornado, or flood. Do your children or grandchildren know how this was weaved into something that worked for ultimate good (Romans 8:28)?
How can you help your loved ones look for the rainbow in the midst of our current global storm?
Right now there are a lot of families with kids cooped up at home. That seems bad. Yet I have heard from many that this has been a great opportunity to slow down the pace of life, have true “family time,” and pray to God as they have never done before.
Our Choice
When troubled times come, you and I each have a choice to make. Will we dwell in the pit of uncertainty and despair, and be an example of fear to our children or grandchildren? Or, will we have an unshakable trust and contentment that God is in ultimate control.
No matter how we might feel, are we confident that natural disasters, wars, and even the coronavirus do not surprise God? Will your life and marriage model a faith worth following? As Charles Spurgeon says, “He who has fixed the bounds of our habitation has also fixed the bounds of our tribulation.”
