Love (God) in the Time of COVID-19

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I wrote this letter for my cell group of young adult men as an encouragement to them in this pandemic season.

I'm  sharing this here hoping it would encourage others as well.


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I hope you guys are all doing well and being compliant with the implemented Community Quarantine in Cebu. It's certainly strange to be undergoing something like this; I myself, in my 44 years of life, have never experienced anything like it.

But let's face it: this is the world we are living in now (whether we like it or not), and for however long this corona virus season lasts, there are only a few options I see that we could take in response to it.


1) We could be FEARFUL and NEGATIVE about it.

It's certainly a valid option in light of Covid-19 pandemic and how it has affected our lives on multiple levels: travel, trade, work, and study... all cancelled or curtailed. We could choose this option, give in to fear, and declare and spread our anxieties to others around us. I know many people have chosen this option, and it is understandable.


2) We could ACCEPT IT as our FATE and say BAHALA NA LANG.

This option is a resignation to the current global circumstance, a surrendering to the prevailing situation. We could choose this option as we may feel like we have no power or control over the crazy things going on right now... and then just go with the flow. "If I get the corona virus, so be it. Bahala na."


3) We could GO TO GOD and LET HIM TAKE OVER.

We're  already awash in fear from the spread of the virus and how it threatens our physical health and our way of life. And we've seen so far that we have little to no control over the proceedings of this pandemic (other than our compliance to quarantine restrictions and keeping ourselves as healthy as we possibly can). Other than that, there's really nothing more we can do...

BUT TO SEEK GOD AND PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM.

This is a season where God is bringing back our FOCUS ON HIM. The CORONA virus is merely a tool God is using to see WHO IS CROWNED KING in our hearts. Is it JESUS or something or someone else? He is shaking our way of life to show us if we are LIVING FOR HIM or not. God is taking us through this seemingly unstable season to show us the STABILITY OF OUR FAITH AND RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

Jesus is not out to destroy us with this virus. That's the devil's work. Jesus doesn't intend for us to live in fear. That's the devil's goal. Jesus doesn't want us to feel hopeless in times like these. That's the devil's tactic.

God wants our eyes focused back on Him and on what He can do. God wants our hearts beating for him and trusting Him -- even in bad times like these. God wants us to depend on Him and Him alone -- for us to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS IN CONTROL OF IT ALL.

I wrote this to hopefully encourage you and give you guys some sense of footing and direction during these days; to hopefully help you walk BY FAITH, not by sight and emotions.

This comes from a place of weariness from all the fears I've had to face recently, but with a heart that has decided to put my trust and my hope in JESUS. I speak to you from a place of brokenness knowing that WITHOUT GOD, I AM NOTHING.

I encourage you, my SONS, as I myself am doing these days, to take time to sit with Jesus, worship Him, be with Him, talk to Him, ask Him what is going on in the world and why these things are happening. HE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU, TOO.

Finally, as Kingdom Builders, my parting reminder is the motto of our cell group:

Matthew 6:33 AMPC

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

God bless you guys. Stay safe and healthy.

In Jesus's name.

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