The current situation in the world has served as a reminder to me of certain key principles that sometimes I forget.
It has reminded me of the surpassing wisdom of the great Heavenly Father. It was God who commanded His church to gather together (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. God knows how much I need YOU. I miss seeing my precious 70 West church family. As I walk past empty pews, I think of you all and a feeling of loneliness overwhelms me. While I have talked to most of you on the phone and I can communicate with you via the internet, it does not replace seeing your smiling face and enjoying a warm embrace.
It has reminded me of the need to SLOW DOWN. I’m an organizer. I normally live guided by my online calendar—as I plug into the calendar all the work activities I plan to do each day. While this planning helps me accomplish a lot in my usual 10-hour workday, it does cause a giant problem. In my haste to get all my scheduled work completed I can actually ‘run over people’ for the sake of getting that last work requirement done. This current crisis has helped me decelerate and take life at a slower pace. I have given my family (first, Lisa and then my children and grandchildren) and church family along with friends, more of my personal time.
It has reminded me of the overwhelming need to spend more time in prayer and personal Bible study. My prayer time has probably tripled, and my personal Bible study time has doubled. This increase in prayer and Bible study has caused me to be drawn even closer to God and for that, I’m grateful.
Finally, this crisis has reminded me of the utter uselessness of the world and things of the world. Entertainment, sports, movies, recreation, and possessions suddenly don’t feel as important as before. What’s important is RELATIONSHIPS. My ‘vertical’ relationship with God, first and foremost and my ‘horizontal’ relationships with all of YOU. Lately, I have been asking myself the question, “Am I doing all I can do to influence my friends for God and His kingdom?”
How about YOU?
~Michael Cox
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