I’m writing this while self-isolating because I’ve been exposed to Covid-19. We are in challenging times right now, we are in a storm season. Most of us have never seen times like this. People are feeling uneasy, people are fearful. I’m trying not to worry about my health. During this, God has been speaking to me about renaming the seasons, therefore I’m not naming this a season of fear or sickness, I’m naming this a season of healing.
When Peter walked on water, he only started to sink when he looked at the storm, Matthew 14 v28-31:
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Focus
A lot of people in the tough season we are all currently in are looking at the storm. They are seeing the news headlines about the virus and fear has set in. As Christians, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, not on the storm. We can see how Peter walked on the water when his focus was on Jesus, but as soon as his focus shifted to the storm he began to sink. Likewise, I believe that if we focus on Jesus, he is going to bring us through this season in such a way that we will grow, we will flourish.
Which voices are you listening to? I mean really listening to. We have things that are said to us, TV shows or films that we watch, we have family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues. Who or what are you allowing to speak into your life, who do you take advice from, who influences you? It could be God, family, friends, social media, the list is endless. God has been challenging me recently that these can be good or bad, and allowing the wrong voices to speak into your life can affect the decisions you make. Therefore, it is so important that we focus on what is true, that is why the Bible, God’s word, should be central to what we allow to speak into our lives.
Why the storm
God could just make the storm go away, but he doesn’t. Jesus could have calmed the waves before he stepped on them, but he didn’t. Why? I believe he wanted to teach the disciples about faith and fear, about doubt, and about fixing their eyes on him. Maybe amid the storms we go through in life, he wants to teach us and grow our faith.
Recently I’ve been thinking about some previous relationship issues and God has been healing me of past hurts through that. This time of isolation from people is an opportunity to spend more time dwelling in God’s presence, and I believe He will use this time to continue what He has been doing in me. This is not a season of sickness for me, it is a season of healing. It’s time for me to be healed from past hurts, and to be healed physically if it comes to that.
It’s a season where we as Christians can be a light in the darkness. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, we can laugh without fear of the future (Proverbs 31 v25). During this time, we can be a blessing and a strength in our communities. Let’s show the fearful and the panic buyers that we are different. Let’s show that we have hope. Let’s allow God to work powerfully in and through us in this season.
Witness
Actions can speak louder than words. We can verbally share the gospel with someone, they may or may not respond in a way we would hope for. We need to be light in this lost and hurting world. Matthew 5 verse 13:
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
During stormy seasons, people can notice the difference in us in how we respond. When we respond well in a storm, when we walk with hope, when we have peace beyond understanding, we are making ourselves like a city on a hill. People can see that light in us. I know it isn’t always easy, and when you are in the middle of it, it can seem downright impossible to see how it could possibly turn out for any good. But remember, we don’t have to do it alone, we have Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit, our comforter, our guide, our source of strength, who can bring us peace and joy beyond understanding. We can always lean on him. With him, we can be the difference this hurting and broken world needs to see.