Discern the times.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20

What interesting times we find ourselves in. We have seen the world become things we never imagined. Our nation at the center of so much.

The beginning of 2020 looked to be an amazing year. It was a year that begin like all years do. Full of anticipation, expectation, and a resolve to accomplish new goals, fresh vision.

Suddenly, it happened. The world halted. The novel Coronavirus came upon every corner of the world. Every country was affected. There was no social status or affluency that wasn’t affected. In a matter of days, we saw ourselves and the world shut down. We were quarantining in our homes. We were being creative in the ways we spent our days at home. Some of us thriving. Some of us hurting. All of us longing for ‘normal’ to come back and come back fast. Days turned into weeks, into months. Some of us still home.

While our hearts were already lonely and longing for human connection, we then witnessed the tragedy of the murder of George Floyd. To many it was another unjust, unnecessary, incredibly painful reminder of what happens too often when cameras are not rolling. To others, it was the beginning of a revelation. The beginning of confronting a reality that we have ignored for too long.

Our hearts, our minds, our spirits already in isolation. Already hurting. Barely surviving one reality, and now faced with a new tragedy. And now the unrest. The violence, the threat to law enforcement. The political agendas. The Twitter wars. So many opinions. So many feelings. So many thoughts.

What are we as Christians to do? How are we to respond to a world that needs love, peace, grace, justice?….even while we, ourselves, are in search of these things?

Jesus, in Luke 12, talks about times such as these. In Luke 12:54-56 He reprimands His followers and says, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?’

Jesus was essentially saying to His followers that they should not only be sensitive to the things around them, but also to foresee what was happening, or what might be coming next. As much as in nature, and the world around us that we can see, as in the spiritual and in the supernatural that we cannot see.

The apostle Paul gave us specific instructions on how to be ready for times like these. To be ready for a daily struggle, a daily battle of our minds, of our hearts, and our spirits. In Ephesians 6 he boldly pleads with us to ‘be strong in the Lord and in His might.’ Because Paul knew the daily struggle. It was real for him too. To see beyond what was happening in the world. To remain steadfast in a truth that had proven faithful yet see little fruit of it around him. He understood that in himself there was not always enough courage, or boldness to have faith in. There was only enough strength in Jesus…and so he pointed us to him, to Jesus. He goes on to describe how we can do that. Paul says, ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.’ Several things to note here. We are in a fight! We are not just in this temporary season that will pass, Paul sensed the daily struggle and was quick to warn us to fight DAILY. Why? Why do we have to fight? Well, Paul also tells us why- ‘For we do not wrestle flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’

Our fight, although we do fight things here in the world around us….is not of this world. Our fight is against a real enemy that is unseen to us. An enemy who operates in the air. Who whispers lies and deception to us. John 8:44 calls him the father of lies. This enemy wants nothing more than to kill and destroy us (John 10:10).

As followers of Jesus, we have a hope. We have a secure hope that we can trust, because His track record is perfect. He’s never once faced a battle that He didn’t win. Jesus is more than a name that we say. Jesus is a name that we can cling to. A name that will change the narrative. And as followers of Jesus, we carry all authority He has given us.  (Matthew 28:18)

Our commission, our mandate did not end with COVID-19. Our ministries were not paused while the world hurts. If ever there was a time for us to operate in our callings, it is now. Our world looks different, but Jesus didn’t change. His love still abounds. His grace still covers a multitude of sins. His peace still passes all understanding. Still. Today.

The wonderful advantage that we have is that during this time, we have all been leveled out. No one has greater influence than anyone else. We are all home. We are all quarantined. We all have access to the same tools. What are you doing with what you have? How are you being the salt of the earth? Are you letting your light shine right where you are?

I urge you to rise above the noise. Discern the times we are in. Do not become complacent. Do not give the enemy room to come in with temptation, with fear, with apathetic thoughts, with comparison, with discord. Discern. Pray. Get alone with God. Let Him minister to your soul. Let Him deal with all of the things that you have struggled with….and then go. Go to your family and your friends and be who God called you to be. Use your influence on social media to be the minister of the gospel that we have all been called to be. Our world needs a hope, needs truth, needs love, needs peace- and we know exactly where they can find it. The one true source, Jesus.

What has God called you to do? If you’re a writer, pick up your pen. If you’re a musician, pick up your instrument. If you are creative, start creating. If you are a leader, lead. If you are a poet, write. If you are a speaker, speak. If you are a painter, paint. If you are a prayer warrior, pray. Each of us has a calling. Each of us has influence in our circles. ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’- Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20)