Biblical Advice for Living Faithfully in Trying Times
Aug 14, 2020 · Courtney Jacob
There’s very little that feels “normal” about life right now. Our experiences differ, but we’re all impacted in some way by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, social inequality, and racial injustice. Many of us feel a sense of sadness, grief, or worry because things are not as God intended and we long for sound advice to help us navigate these unusual and difficult times.
As Christians, we can turn to God’s Word for wisdom and perspective. In our Groundwork series, “Biblical Advice for Living Faithfully in Trying Times,” we’ll turn to God’s Word for advice on how we as Christians can respond to the tragedy, injustice, and unrest in our midst. We’ll seek the Bible’s guidance to help us understand what God calls us to do in times like these and how we can remain faithful in our thoughts, our responses, and our actions.
Rooted in God’s Word
In this digital age, information is at our fingertips. It’s easy to find quick answers to our burning questions. But ease of finding information can also be discouraging and at times lead us astray. There’s so much information and so much bias that it’s no surprise that we might feel disheartened and overwhelmed. But if we first root ourselves in God’s Word and pray for wisdom, we are more likely to follow God’s lead, look at things from his perspective, and make decisions that align with his will, his purpose, and his kingdom. Basically, we can be confident that we are living with integrity and following him as faithfully as we can with the information (and revelation) we have now.
Sure, we’re still going to find faithful Christians on every side of an issue, but maybe, just maybe we can find resonance and common ground in God’s Word and rely on his grace to speak kindly to each other and live well in community together, even with our differences.
A Time for Intentional Reflection
As 2020 lingers on and COVID-19 continues to disrupt and alter our daily life, we’re now in a place we weren’t when this all started—now we must reflect rather than just react.
We can reflect back on the disruption and economic troubles caused by sudden “stay-at-home” orders and lock-downs. We can consider the history that paved the way for social inequality and racial injustice. But most importantly, we can notice the truths of scripture that withstand the test of time and continue to carry us through.
Lessons We’ve Learned So Far
I invite you to join Groundwork as we reflect on how God’s Word speaks to our current reality through our series, “Biblical Advice for Living Faithfully in Trying Times”:
- Lament: A Faithful Response to Tragedy - Psalm 13, Psalm 55, and Romans 14:7
- Trust God's Providence - Psalm 104:27-30, Deuteronomy 8:3-18, Romans 8:28, and Jeremiah 19:1-3
- Worship and Fellowship Together - Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, and Hebrews 10:19-25
- Answer God's Call for Justice - Leviticus 25:10-17, Luke 4:17-21, Acts 6:1-4, Amos 5, and Micah 6:8
...and together we’ll dig into scripture to find both promises to sustain us and wisdom to help us continue living faithfully each day as we navigate these trying times.
Posted in: #COVID-19, #Tragedy, #Lament, #Providence, #Justice, #Injustice, #Worry, #God'sperspective, #Wisdom, #Biblicaladvice