Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thess 5:16-18 NLT
It’s been 6 months and 3 days (or more) since COVID-19 has come and shaken our world and changed many of our lives, some for the better, some for the worse. In this post today, I want to focus on the better. One might say, Lydia, there’s nothing you can tell me that is “good” about this year. And my reply would be, you are alive and well, that’s a whole lot!
In so many of my conversations with people, I have been hearing, “2020 is the worst year ever”, this is the “worst time in my life”, and more. While I understand completely where many are coming from, I think it is time for us to shift our mindset. Before the pandemic, many of us may have been enjoying the normalcy of life. There is some good to be accounted for. There are some people that are rejoicing that this year has been the best year of their life and there is a reason why.
2020 has been great for me. I will not negate the fact that there have been some challenges and some hardships. However, I can speak of years in my life that were absolutely worst than this year. Years that I was hoping Jesus would just come for his children. SO… there’s a few points I want to highlight and I hope that something here causes you to have a shift in mindset.
How do you view the pandemic period? There are two types of people during the pandemic as I see it. Whether Christian or not, there are those who saw this period as an “opportunity” and others who saw it as a “setback”. There are people who decided to start that business and are millionaires now and people who decided to say “woe is me” and let the time pass them by. Mindset.
I know a lot of people who have used their time of being isolated and being at home to start something new, to get closer to God, to spend time in meditation, to travel, to build up, to save and more. There are other people who were healed in this period, who gave birth to that child they have been praying about, who have found the courage try new things, who have found love and so much more. So I ask again, what is your mindset towards this pandemic?
We know that the mind is a powerful thing, which is why we are admonished in Romans 12:2 to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We need a renewal of mind. This COVID-19 situation is devastating and tragic, but we have had many years in which we have experienced loss, isolation, fear and panic. Through all of those things, God has brought us this far and remained faithful. As 1 Thessalonians and Romans 5 states, we should be thankful in all circumstances and rejoice in our sufferings because it produces endurance, it build character in us and it builds hope in us.
I would be even more devastated if this time passed me by and I missed out on so many opportunities that God wanted to put before me. I believe that in all things that we encounter, God has something that he wants us to learn or something he wants us to understand. Even in the hardship, the pain, the struggles, there is something greater that he wants us to set out eyes on. Don’t let this time steal your joy, your optimism, your time, NOTHING.
I want you to search your heart and think of as many things as possible that God has done for you in this pandemic season. Whether it has been giving you more time with your family, advancing your career, giving your rest, bringing you closer to him, or plainly giving you an opportunity to see the next day and keeping you healthy. We should not let fear rule our lives and keep us in a mindset that is negative. For we know that God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity, but a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control (2 Tim 1:7 AMPC).
I pray that our mindsets begin to change from today and that we do not let the rest of the year pass, but we will embrace and hold on firm to whatever God has for us, by seeking him and committing all things to him. Let’s share a prayer:
God, allow me to have a spirit of gratitude and a renewal of mindset towards all that is happening around me. Although it may impact me emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually, do not allow me to miss what you have for me. Although 2020 is getting closer to an end, may I not miss what you have planned for me. May you remove the spirit of panic, fear, stress and uncertainty from my mind and may you help me to see what you desire from me and FOR me in this period. May you cause peace and positivity to be my portion as the year draws close to an end. In Jesus name, Amen.
Sincerely Yours, Lydia.