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As we deal with another lockdown, the effects of the past year are mounting up. There are struggles with isolation and anxiety. Plans that we put our hopes in for relief and escape keep getting pushed out farther into the future. We can feel helpless and wonder how much gas is left in the tank. Even the language can add to our stress. When we hear that the premier’s pulling “the emergency brake,” it sounds like we’re in a car that’s skidding out of control and we’re about to do some risky maneuver. When they say that we’re in a “lockdown” or under “stay-at-home orders,” you can’t help but picture bars on the doors or at least a monitoring anklet to ensure that we don’t escape.
The apostle Paul was actually under stay-at-home orders when he wrote the book of Philippians. He was chained to rotating shifts of Roman guards who ensured that he stayed put. He wasn’t waiting for a vaccine to bring his lockdown to an end. He was waiting on a trial that would likely end in his death. Despite his circumstances, he exuded joy, hope, and confidence. What can we learn from him to better cope with the lockdown that we’re facing?
1. Thank God for the good that He’s done
It’s easy to become fixated on all that’s wrong with our circumstances right now. We’re tempted to think about all that we can’t do and all that’s not normal. Paul reminds us not to do that. He deliberately points his thoughts in a different direction. He reflects in prayer on the good that God has accomplished in his life and in the lives of others. Early in his letter, he prays, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3-5). There were plenty of things that could have discouraged Paul, but He chose to reflect on the good that God had done. John Henry Jowett once said, “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.” When we express our gratefulness toward God, it can correct our negativity and fuel our hope for the good that He’ll do.
2. Love God’s purposes more than your comfort
On top of being chained to Roman guards, Paul had to endure the insult of people capitalizing on his imprisonment and attempting to gain a following in the wake of his own losses. He spoke of some who “preach Christ from envy and rivalry” (Philippians 1:15) and “proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment” (Philippians 1:17). It’s the kind of cruelty that would drive most people to despair, but Paul looked at his circumstances through a different lens. His focus was on God’s purposes, not his own comfort. While it meant a loss for him, personally, he could see that it was resulting in more people sharing the gospel and that brought him not only consolation but real joy (Philippians 1:18).
The pandemic hasn’t made life more comfortable for many of us, but it has been used by God in many positive ways. It’s convinced some people that they’re not as self-sufficient as they thought they were. It’s helped some people see the value of fellowship. It’s drawn others to listen to God in a way that they hadn’t previously. Still others have been brought to re-evaluate what’s important in life. As we focus more on what God might be doing and less on our own comfort, it shapes how we respond to what’s going on around us.
3. Put the spotlight on others not just yourself
The most consistent message that I’ve heard about coping with the pandemic has to do with “self-care.” We need to give ourselves permission and treat ourselves as a means of dealing with the stress. I think the message is largely well-intentioned and does contain some truth. Rest is important. Exercise is good. And when rhythms are disrupted and stress is added, we can forget to care for our bodies. But I’m struck by a completely different focus in the writings of Paul.
When he’s at his worst, he never becomes absorbed in himself. Whether he’s been beaten, shipwrecked, or wrongly imprisoned, he continues to serve others. In the book of Philippians, even though he’s locked up and awaiting a trial that might end in his death, his prayers focus on the Philippians, not himself. He’s making plans to send his closest friend to the church in Philippi because he’s “genuinely concerned for [their] welfare” (Philippians 2:20). And he also sends back one of their leaders because they had heard that he was ill and were worried about him. Even though the man has recovered, Paul’s heart is that they “may rejoice at seeing him again” (Philippians 2:28). Has the pandemic made you inwardly focused? Are you investing in fellowship? Have you gotten good at self-care, but let ‘other-care’ drop out of view?
I’m convinced that there is good that God wants to do in our lives through this pandemic, but we probably won’t see it if we just hold our breath and wait for it to be over. God is good and He’s doing good. When we look to Him in gratefulness, faith, and a heart to join Him, He gives us joy in circumstances that might otherwise bring us down.
In awe of Him,
Paul
