The True Pandemic… Will You Choose To Live?

This pandemic will not end with a vaccine. I know that for many of you that statement is depressing. You have pinned hopes on a vaccination to get the economy going again and schools to open. Matter of fact, I bet I just lost half my readers by claiming this…
 
For those of you still reading…
 
I also don’t think the threat of the virus is going away in a couple of months. We are living in the midst of this threat for at least the next 12 to 18 months. I hope I didn’t just lose the other half by making that claim…
 
I really do believe that Covid-19 will have impact on many of the things we do for at least another year (i.e. restaurants, shopping, amusement parks, hotels, church, etc.). Maybe, there will not be a complete lockdown, but that doesn’t mean that businesses and churches are not going to be impacted.
 
The movie industry and Disney are actually setting expectations of 2022 before their businesses recover to pre-pandemic levels.
 
So, now that I have said this, let me ask a question of those of you left reading…
 

How will you now live?

If you knew the hope of moving forward is not a vaccine or a reduction in new infections, how would you now live?
 
Would you continue to fight on social networks or hide in your homes?
 
Yesterday, I was talking to Israel Wayne, and I said this…
 
“Seems like the whole country is either angry and fighting or scared and hiding.”
 
Don’t get me wrong,…I am not against the groups and individuals out there that are fighting for freedoms (namely, around churches meeting, but more than that). So, don’t go there! If you knew me personally, you would know that I am conservative politically to the point of almost being considered Libertarian. I am very supportive of limited government. None of this is my point!
 
My point is that it is time for churches and Christians to start focusing on impacting lives of other people. Again, I don’t want to sway into shaming pastors for not meeting as a church. But, I do want to say that it is time for pastors and pastoral staffs to be very visible to their congregations and communities and not just on video. They should be going to people’s houses; dropping off breakfast; and simply checking in. This is what you signed up for.
 
But, this is not just about pastors, this is about all Christ’s followers. One of the big truths of the Bible is that people need people. We need to invest in people, and we need people to invest in us. An isolated person is like the gazelle the lion is stalking. And, Christians are the hands and feet of Christ.
 
So, if you accept that this pandemic is not going away anytime soon, do you continue living as you have over the last several months? What would you change?
 
Pandemics like we are living in right now do not end in vaccines. Over the centuries of pandemics, only one has actually ended in a vaccine. (Check out this story from the New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/10/health/coronavirus-plague-pandemic-history.html)
 
Do you know what causes pandemics to disappear? Well, people just get tired of isolation and fear and start to move again. That is it!
 
First it starts off slow with people taking all kinds of precautions. They are cautious but they start to move again. But over time, life forgets about the threat of what originally created the pandemic just like we forget about the threat of getting hit by a car when we are walking, choking on food when eating, getting hit with a tree when mowing the lawn, or the million other ways you could die. Everyday we take risks; eat bad food; and get in our cars; but we hardly give them a thought. We might take precautions but we have made the choice that living is more important.
 
And that is what I am trying to say here, living is more important. It is time that we live and live as Jesus Christ meant us to live.
 
So, let me return to my earlier question,…
 
If you knew that this pandemic is not going away in a couple of months, how would that change the way you live?
 
Would you bring breakfast to a family you knew were working hard?
 
Would you go to church?
 
Would you invite over a family for dinner?
 
Would you go to an event?
 
Would you shake hands?
 
Would you serve in a homeless ministry?
 
To me, a big part of living is making connections. We were created to connect with others. We need this. We need to lift up, and we need to be lifted up. We were made to invest in the lives of others.
 
And, when I look out on the landscape, I believe the greatest pandemic is how we are allowing circumstances to isolate us. We fight over masks and social distancing. We are hiding in our homes. We go out but never look anyone else in the eye. We are just not being the people that Jesus Christ called.
 
That is the true pandemic…
 
So, what are you now going to do?

Today, I read this from Tony Evans, who spoke in Nashville at Teach Them Diligently  a few years ago.

“When you are clear about your purpose, you will not allow circumstances to dictate your decisions.”

David Nunnery

PS— We have a lot of resources to help you as you decide what you’re going to do  now. Teach Them Diligently exists to help your family, and Leslie and I are so thankful for every opportunity we have to get to know and serve you. I encourage you to join us in Teach Them Diligently 365 for year-round access to incredibly helpful resources, coaching, mentoring, and community. It is unlike anything else available for Christian homeschool families, and we would love to get to know you better there! Click here for more details. 

Another great resource to jump into is the Praying for Your Children Email Course. Thousands have noted how it has helped them get clarity in their parenting and better relate with their children. Click here to get started today. 

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