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"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." --Isaiah 60:1-2 (Bible, NIV)
"The man who says he can and the one who says he cannot...are both right."
--Confucius (Chinese Philosopher, 500 B.C.)
Do you feel it? That thick invisible cloud of darkness that covers the earth and has invaded our world since we all encountered Covid-19 earlier this year. There is an emotional feel to it in the grocery store, in restaurants, at work, even at home and nearly everywhere we go things just aren't the same as they were in 2019. People are afraid. The intensity of fear, alarm, concern, worry and stress is greater. Patience is thinner, the sense of urgency in everyone's step has quickened and our avoidance of others is at an all-time high. I have even heard of people that have not come out of their own homes (yet have the ability to do so) because they are literally petrified of getting the virus!
My undergraduate degree is in psychology and while our current state of world affairs is sad with the pandemic, it's also a revealing reality into human behavior mentally and emotionally as we consistently are wearing a medical mask of some kind. I've noticed two things that are happening more often now that we are becoming more institutionalized and comfortable wearing medical masks. Next time you're in the grocery store with your mask on be mindful of this in yourself and others:
In general, we do not talk as much as we used to.
In general, we do not have as much eye contact with others as we used to.
Both 1 and 2 above can even happen at the grocery store register with the person checking us out! The fact that these two things are happening consistently can easily lead us down an even more fearful path of "dehumanization", which is defined as: the viewing and treatment of other persons as though they lack the capacities that are commonly attributed to human beings such as: dignity, respect and worthiness. I am not saying it will happen, I am simply saying it's a thin line.
The above is just something to be mindful of and aware of in yourself and others. You matter, I matter, people matter, whether they are wearing a mask or not. Stay engaged, be present and do not succumb to fear. Definitely acknowledge any fear you do have, be present with it and then let it go, release and surrender it. Be free of it, because remember: you matter and are worth it!
I am part of the less than 2% of the United States population that has received Covid-19. I recovered from it and I am actually grateful I acquired it. Not only do I no longer have to be afraid of it at all, but I am able to see it more clearly for what it really is. I heard an alarming piece of information regarding people’s emotional state when in fear: persistent fear can compound and worsen an illness by nearly 8 times! That is to say that any illness can become 8 times worse when you’re living in fear! Needless to say, it is extremely difficult for your body to heal when you are operating in a state of fear. In the Bible, it is stated over 70 times “do not be afraid”. My favorite verse where it says this is in Deuteronomy 31:6 it says: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." I wonder then is Covid-19 really that bad? Or is it actually much worse than what it really is, because people are blanketed with heightened state of fear? Fear, is a negative emotion that is life-draining. Courage, reason, love, joy, peace are powerful positive emotions that are life-giving. Be strong and courageous!
Okay great, I am not afraid of Covid at all, but what am I afraid of? Because everyone is afraid of something! Uhhh that requires me to vulnerable and that is not always fun, but in that vulnerability, there is a secret gem of life, a hidden gift if you can be brutally honest with yourself. So here I go:
I am afraid that my wife and I might not make it in our marriage, but I am choosing to trust in God beyond what I see and know.
I am afraid I will yield to my smaller self by being quick to speak, fast to talk and fast to get angry. Pretty much the opposite of James 1:19 which says: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”
I am afraid I will miss out on true life from grinding and working so hard, yet I am believing that my labor will reap the fruit I want for the future.
I am afraid I will not find true healing from God for the pain in my soul.
Of course, there is much more, but if you were truly honest with yourself, what bullet points would be above for you? It is always easier to read, much more difficult to be engaged and search your soul! (I’m speaking from experience) So now what? What do I do with all that stuff above that I do not want to be afraid of? I give it away. I surrender it to God. I let it go. I release my clinched hand and surrender it over to Him. What if I’m afraid of those things again after I already surrendered them? Then, let them go again and again and again. You didn’t do anything wrong the first time, there is no magic formula to surrender, prayer and confession. God is still with you, he hasn't left you, you just have a lot more to let go of. If you keep feeling fear or any other negative emotions release them again to Jesus Christ. He has felt just as you and I did. He is strong enough to carry our every burden!
This week I realized a few important things:
I have been carrying my burdens much more and much longer than I need to. I have been holding onto a “victim-mentality” by complaining and just plain feeling sorry for myself about my painful past, present circumstances and uncertain future. The “victim-mentality” will always be there knocking on my shoulder, but that is no longer who I am, I can let that go too. And so can you. You and I are not defined by our past, but we have great power to choose and rise above! I am choosing to let my "victim-mentality" go again now and I am giving it away!
I thought to myself, but “God I am so willing to do anything, why are things still so challenging?” And then I heard in my soul the words of Bruce Lee: “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” If I just stop at what I “know”, yet never apply it to my life and if I just stop at being “willing”, yet never actually do anything with my will / desire…well then, all that knowledge and willingness becomes absolutely meaningless! Just a bunch of "intentions" that were supposed to go somewhere, but were never acted upon!
You and I have knowledge, apply it. You and I have willingness, do it! As said in the movie "Batman Begins" by Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul telling Bruce Wayne/Batman: "training is nothing! The will is everything. The will to act." Make it happen, take control of your life. So what are you afraid of? Can you look in the mirror and be honest with yourself? Face yourself. Take ownership of your life, you are worth it. Life is too short and none of us are getting any younger! My favorite chapter in all the Bible is Ezekiel 18 and the last few verses of the chapter say this in Ezekiel 18:30-32, “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Your new heart and new spirit are waiting for you! So rid yourself from all the offenses you have committed, all your baggage and be your new self, your greater self, the self God is calling you to right now! If you already have salvation in Jesus Christ great, that means the joyful growing pains of sanctification are still ahead of you, calling you to surrender to your old self again and again and to get your new heart and spirit more and more! Isaiah 60:1-2 says:"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you." So rise again and live!
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