So much has changed in our country and world in just a matter of days. You may be feeling enormous amounts of stress and anxiety when you think about your own future, perhaps in your business, work, health, relationships, and more. These are stressful times right now and let me just say: You may need to have a good, ugly cry. I did last night while watching Fox News reports.
Yesterday, my heart ached as my family and I were in Kearney, Nebraska for a quick get-away and you can just see the sadness on people’s faces at restaurants. I gasped when I stared in the windows at Starbucks and no bodies were in the chairs enjoying coffee and conversation. And just last night the Governor of Colorado announced the new mandate for public areas that impact our little town too. I’m sure by the time this post is published, new laws will be in place.
You and I are looking at an unseen future and who knows what the aftermath will be like?
But rest assured as a believer in Christ, you don’t have to live in a state of panic, worry, and fear. You have a great hope and future awaiting you – one day God is going to restore all that’s been corrupted and broken. He promises to make all things new. We’re living in the “in-between” where sickness, sin, and death remain. But this won’t be forever and what’s going on in our world are the aches and labor pains until Jesus returns.
The end of our story isn’t darkness and death, it’s glorious and beautiful redemption. That doesn’t mean we won’t have to go through suffering, trials, and tribulations on this side of heaven. We will. We are right now. But he’s promised to never leave us in our pain and trials.
A verse that has given me great comfort in this time is John 16:33:
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus is bigger than anything you face here on earth. He knows you’ll endure tribulation but he is still here. He has overcome the whole world. Your heart can rest easy knowing He is sovereign and fully aware of what’s playing out – even if it’s scary when the shelves are bare and your whole life has been put on hold.
Not only that, there are also many other people feeling the same as you – loaded down with heavy anxiety and needing comfort and assurance. You’re not alone in your heartaches.
In times like these, we need one another even more. We know we can’t socially isolate spiritually. We need one another to bear our burdens, share our struggles, pray with and for, and encourage daily. Spiritual isolation is not our friend. We need to lock hands even more in helping one another especially the vulnerable and elderly. It’s our time to step up to the plate and make sacrifices with our time and resources.
So, let’s lean on each other and find ways to tangibly help our neighbor, family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s get our eyes off ourselves and go be the hands and feet of Christ.
Taking heart with you,
Samantha
