Tag: lockdown

Prisoners of Hope

Last night it was announced that the part of the UK I live in (England) is returning to a full national lockdown. Cases of COVID have been increasing rapidly in recent weeks and so the Government have taken the decision to put us back into similar restrictions as we saw last March.

I had a look through my social media feeds last night, and the overwhelming feeling was “Here we go again!” And also, a fair few which said, “There goes dry January!” I hope this was largely tongue in cheek, but let’s not forget that these restrictions are extremely difficult for many families.

What can I say here that hasn’t already been said?

I do not want to debate whether lockdowns work or not, and no doubt you have your own views on this. Given the pressure on our health services, and the increasing cases, something had to be done, and I do not envy those who have to make such decisions. They must weigh the cost of harmful restrictions against the virus, and choose the lesser of two evils.

Let it be an opportunity for us to pray for our government.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

Lockdown: The Return

One post I read said that this new lockdown was much like the first, but with far worse weather! During that original lockdown, I took it upon myself to post on the blog every day. I did so as a way of encouraging those who read it with the Word of God. If we ever needed encouragement, then we do so again now!

The following verse springs to mind, which I want to share with you today.

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

Zechariah 9:12 (NIV)

What is a prisoner of hope exactly? I believe it is someone who simply cannot escape the hope brought about by knowing Jesus as Lord. While this isn’t exactly what Zechariah was thinking of when he penned these words, I hope (pun intended) that I’m not taking too much liberty with the text here.

If we focus on our problems, or even pay too much attention to the big issues of the world, then we cannot help but feel discouraged and hopeless. If we choose to, we can find things to complain about or seek out concerns to worry over.

For Christians though, we have good reason to hope. We know Christ, and we know His salvation. We have heaven to look forward to, and the blessed forgiveness of our sin. We have had peace bequeathed to us and have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:3). We have the privilege of prayer, the bountiful Fruit of the Spirit, and the immense joy of sharing the good news of the Gospel.

These are just a few of the positives we can focus on, and I believe we can do so to such an extent that we can truly describe ourselves as prisoners of hope. That’s not to say that we bury our heads in the sand and deny the existence of problems. We cannot deny that there will be trouble in this life, but we do not have to dwell on it with all of our time and energy.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)

Let us be a people who focuses on eternal things, not on earthly matters. Let us live and function in the world of course, but let us also remember that it is not our forever home. I would venture to say it is impossible to be happy and full of hope without a genuine effort to keep our minds set on our Heavenly Father and the things of eternity.

What does the phrase “prisoner of hope” mean to you? How do you stay positive in difficult times? Feel free to comment below and share your thoughts. Equally, if you need prayer support right now, please do get in touch.

The Isolation Test

Every Christian can act like one when they are home alone. But when we are trapped in the same four walls with our close family, not able to go out as we wish, it can be a lot harder to be a good witness for Christ. 

How are you coping with the Isolation Test?

I’m not quite sure how long we have been in lockdown now, but I know it has been over a month since I was last in a moving vehicle. I have not left the house since the weekend, and then only to walk our two dogs around the village where I live. My four children are fed up with being cooped up and all they want to do is run around.

For us, the sounds of children bickering about their latest make-believe game may be grating, but for those who live alone it would be a welcome noise.

How are you coping with the extended lockdown period? I call it the “Isolation Test”. And some days I’ve not doing a great job of passing it!

I saw on the news this morning that a charity in the UK are saying that as many as 1 in 6 relationships could break down as a result of this extended lockdown period. Those couples who thought they were in good shape have been shaken or broken by this strange time. We all need space at times, and even our closest friend or spouse can be a source of irritation if we indulge our selfish side.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIVUK)

Paul has some very challenging words to say about love in these verses. Love is not easy, and especially so right now.

Love is patient

They say that patience is a virtue. I say it is a critical Fruit of the Spirit which we all need to live a successful Christian walk. You cannot defeat a patient person.

My own patience has been somewhat lacking in recent days. Working from home with childcare and all social events cancelled has made it much harder to bear this fruit. Yet, we are in a very blessed position compared to many, and my focus should be on that fact and not on what I feel I am missing out on.

It is all too easy to fall into the temptation to be impatient. Impatient with children. Impatient with spouses. Impatient with technology, supermarket staff or social media. We all need a healthy dose of patience right now, and we can only find it in walking close with the Lord.

Love is kind

Kindness is another fruit we need right now. It is so easy to forget others and focus on our own circumstances. Alongside all of the bad news stories we hear, I’m so pleased to hear of other stories of kindness. Kindness to key workers. Kindness to neighbours. Kindness to those in desperate need.

Be kind to those you live with. They are likely finding it just as difficult as you are. Go the extra mile and do it even when you really don’t feel like it. Ask God to give you ideas about innovative kindness.

Love is not self-seeking

Love is not self-seeking. This statement alone stops me in my tracks. Love – God’s kind of love – is not about serving ourselves. Love is outward facing. It focuses on other people and sometimes doesn’t even consider itself.

When I lose my temper, it is nearly always because something or someone is getting in the way of what “I” want to do. While this is understandable at times, it is very humbling for me. I clearly have a long way to go in crucifying my flesh and dealing with my pride. I tend to fail the isolation test when I don’t put others before myself. I am guessing that I am not alone in this.

Selfishness is an ugly thing, and one we do not like to talk about or focus on. Yet it is something which affects us all to some degree. The more we deal with our selfishness and pride, the more loving we will be.

How do we do that though?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Matthew 16:24 (NIVUK)

 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:24 (NIVUK)

Crucifying the flesh means putting it to death. It means that each and every day we deny its desires and wants, and we put love first. Every time we feel that temper rise, we deny it and put the needs of others first. It is hard, but will only get harder if we choose not to do it. Likewise, the more we do it, the easier it will become.

There are no miracles or shortcuts to cure selfishness. It is a step-by-step, day-by-day process. We will only conquer it by consistently putting it down over and over again. And we will all have to do that for the rest of our lives.

Testing times

There is much more we could say about the words from 1 Corinthians on love. In fact, we could do a whole series of studies on it. For today, suffice it to say that passing the Isolation Test will be in no small part to do with how loving we can be to others.

It is an extremely hard time for many people, and so I do not write this to condemn you or make you feel worse than you perhaps already do. I have found it hard to be a good witness during the last few weeks, but that conviction drives me onward to want to do better.

I cannot behave better just because I want to, as my own strength of will isn’t enough and is too easily swayed by circumstances. I need the guiding hand of God to bring about lasting change in my life. I must renew my mind in His Word and allow Him to do the work of crucifying the flesh. Every moment of every day i must surrender to Him. It’s not easy, but God loves us.

I pray that you are able to not just survive this time of social distancing and isolation, but that you can bless others while you do.