What is God Teaching Us When We Are Not in Control?
Scripture
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see — such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through Him and for Him.
He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.”
— Colossians 1:15-17
Reflection
God always has a good plan in whatever He does.
He does not always make His plans known to mankind.
But surely there are some things we can learn from the pandemic?
We are learning that we are not in control of the pandemic.
We are not in control of our daily lives.
We are not in control of our future.
We are not in control of our hopeful plans.
We are not in control of world events.
We are not in control of tomorrow.
We are not in control of where the virus goes next.
We find it hard to be in control of when we can book in for vaccination.
We are not in control of our future travel arrangements, or holidays, or sports, or school, or university access.
We are not in control of our jobs and incomes.
We are definitely not in control of climate change, or storms or floods, or fire outbreaks, although we think we can be.
So what does God teach us?
He teaches us to listen to His word, where we are told of the intervention in history through the life, death and resurrection of His eternal son Jesus Christ — Who alone rules history, nations, leaders and people.
Is this so foolish to say?
Am I just trying to make sense of being so impotent?
Or am I coming to realise that God has a purpose for me, for us as a family, for His church, for the world.
So if the question is now asked “What is God doing through the Covid crisis?” — then what is your answer as a Christian?
Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.1
___
1. ‘Serenity Prayer’ by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971).
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