5 Things Covid Taught Us
Taking care of yourself is not selfish.
I am someone who likes to be active… I guess I have a hard time being still. I can even feel guilt creep in after I simply sit down to watch a TV show. BUT during quarantine I was reminded of the importance of taking care of myself and sometimes just resting. I would set these big audacious to-do lists every day during quarantine and would find myself feeling bad if I didn’t get everything crossed off. My mom had to remind me to just chill during a phone call I had with her. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. In fact, if you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s foolish. So take the vitamins. Put the right foods in your body. Get a little active. But also get good rest. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
Do everything with a grateful heart.
I cried when I lost my taste and smell. I’ll admit it. I love food A LOT. BUT instead of reflecting on what I was missing, I needed to focus on what I had right in front of me. A roof over my head. An amazing husband to take care of me. Food to nourish my body. A wonderful God to comfort me. I also had to remember that while I simply just lost my taste, others had lost their lives. So use this time to count your blessings instead of the temporary disruptions. God still woke us up today and put breath in our lungs. That’s something we can celebrate.
James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Reach out to people.
We were so blessed by people who would text or call or drop off food for us during our time in quarantine. It was super convicting for us, opening our eyes to all the times we could have reached out to others but didn’t. So be a good neighbor. Serve as a true disciple. Send the text just to check up on them. Make the food and leave it on the doorstep. Take a moment and pray for them. It could make all the difference.
Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
God wants to use this time.
Put down the phone. Set limits for yourself. I just gotta say that. It is SO EASY to want to pick up the phone, mindlessly scroll, or click through those stories. It’s okay to do it, but in moderation. Here’s why: God wants to use this time. So don’t squander it. Pick up a good book. Get into the Word. Talk or write about the Word. Go for a (socially-distanced) walk. Look into the eyes of your lover. Play a board game (Catan is a great one). Ask God to use the current situation. Ask Him to reveal things you can work on in this time. Do not waste this time and walk out of quarantine feeling more drained then filled up. Don’t squander it. Ask God to help you. Watch how He’ll use it.
Ephesians 5:16-17 “Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
We’re all in this together.
Don’t allow division to come out of a time where unity should prevail. We are all human. We are all flawed. We are all going through the same thing. We are all doing the best with what we’ve got. So let’s show each other a little bit of grace. Whether or not you believe in the vaccine, are celebrating over the presidency, or think Covid is just a hoax, let’s all show respect for one another. No more arrogant extremism. Let’s not put each other down. Let’s instead work on building one another up. It is then that we’ll be able to move in the right direction together.
Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”