Phil on ... 

In my last article I touched on how the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 provide us with an opportunity to try out new things and re-evaluate our lives. However, self-isolation also brings us many worries and self-doubts about the future: Will I lose my job? When will I see my grandchildren again? Just how long might this situation carry on? Will a second wave of the virus come along and kill many more people, as happened with the Spanish flu of 1918-1919?
When faced with any unwanted and challenging situation (I’m not just talking Covid here, it could be general money worries, concern for the health of a loved one etc), it is easy to spiral downwards into a pit of despair as we repeatedly go through various scenarios in our mind in a desperate bid to try and process a new situation and work out how we will cope.
Fortunately, a belief in God and Christ gives us some real hope and timely advice. Firstly, we need to recognize that we are not in control. The secular world may encourage us to manage our own destiny, but the reality is we are insignificant compared to God. It is God who is in control. He understands our concerns but is longing for us to simply trust in him. He wants us to humbly bring our worries and leave them with him. By doing this, we are strengthening our faith. Plus, we receive the gift of peace. Paraphrasing John Chapter 14 verse 27:
“Peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not be afraid. Do not worry”
Of course, it’s easy to state the advice above but we will always have a tendency to slip back into negative, despondent thoughts as we forget God’s promise and start re-evaluating our situation (and how WE might find a way through it on our own). Once these thoughts start it is easy to let them dominate. It’s like standing at the crumbling edge of a pit and peering in, only to find the ground starting to give way causing us to be drawn ever downwards. There is, thankfully, an effective mechanism for avoiding this. We need to work hard at recalling and then praising God for all the good things he has blest us with. If you think about it, there are many things to be grateful for. Things that we all too often take for granted in our busy lives. It’s been interesting to read on-line about people who are normally driven by work goals, suddenly having the time to appreciate things like the beauty of flowers, or the fun associated with playing a simple board game, or how good our meals taste. The more we praise God for these things, the more we cloud out any tendency to have negative thoughts. Praising God draws us closer to him and further away from the pit.
In closing, I’d like to thank Jacqui for giving me a most excellent book entitled “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. The book contains a short passage for each day of the year that is written as if Jesus was talking to you on a one to one basis ... and it really does feel like that as you read the powerful prose. There are two or three bibles verses provided that help reinforce the message. It is recalling some of these daily readings that has inspired me to write this article. I’d recommend that you buy a copy. Even in these difficult times it seems Amazon can get a book to you the day after your ordered it ... which is something else to be thankful for!