Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
What will you pray for? As this slow calamity unfolds around the world and in America what will you pray for? At some point in the future, we may be able to look back and discern some of what God is doing through this worldwide calamity. But not now. Now we must reflect and pray.
Will you pray that the world and America will go back to the way it was before the pandemic? As the saying goes, “you can never go back”. The changes that have taken place around the world, in our nation, community and personal lives in the past few weeks are irreversible. Lives have changed drastically. Many have become very sick and died and more will die. You and I may die.
Like a person with a cancer diagnosis we must all now pause and reflect on what really matters in our lives. The corona virus is an equal opportunity disease in that it sickens and kills all people in all walks of life, no one can hide.
God is clear in explaining that you and I are not promised tomorrow (James 4:14). Prosperity, scientism, and secularism has blinded us to this fact of reality in our fallen world. Now our eyes have been opened. Our prosperity, our medical science, and our culture cannot save us from this. Only God has the power over life and death. Ignore that to your peril!
Your life is not about you, it never has been. Your sinful nature tells you that You are the most important person and that the world cannot function without you. Right now many people, many Christians, are afraid of their mortality, afraid of illness and death. Paul stated that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Our natural inclination of sinful self-absorption leads us to ignore what Christ says in Mark 12:30, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The Westminster Catechism states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God.”
Now is your opportunity to do the right thing, perhaps like never before. Now you can be involved in your community and church family to change things for the better. If you have neglected to make church and worship a priority, do so now even if virtually. Don’t just be a spectator Christian, be involved and do what you can do. Our excuse we are too busy is no longer acceptable. Your family needs you as does your community and church.
Material possessions, the search for attention, fame, and self-aggrandizement as promoted by our culture and social media like Facebook are distractions from what is truly important. We must stop trying to glorify ourselves and start glorifying God!