It is important to not impose a premature finish line on the current Coronavirus crisis and the crash of the world economies. Many times, when people are in adverse situations, they assume this is the finish line, the game is over and they’ve lost. In reality, we may only be in the first quarter of the game, or the second act of a five-act play.
Many people give up hope too early, assuming the worst outcome. As we read in the Bible we see irrefutable evidence that God is the author of great comebacks, no matter how bleak the circumstances. God has incredible plans, that may include comebacks and advances ready to unfold in the current situation. Maintaining a Godly perspective and a long-game approach instead of imposing a premature finish line is key to keeping our heads above water.
I was a young teenager growing up with the typical outlaw spirit that Kansas is known for (Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, the Dalton gang…), my world was drastically shaken when my Mother died in front of us from an unexpected blood clot. She had just turned 40 and was probably the most perfect Mother any kid could have. She was a Christian who lived it every day of the week. The whole experience was surreal. I was drawn at the time to a plaque on our living room wall, it was from Isa. 26:3: He gives him perfect peace whose mind is fixed on Thee, because he trusts You. This verse has sustained me during that storm and to this day, realizing now, more than ever, what that really meant.
To avoid getting psychologically and spiritually dizzy, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Him. Here’s an example of how this works. If you’ve ever seen a ballerina do a pirouette you’ll notice that she fixes her eyes on a certain point and then turns her head around quickly each time she rotates. That’s how she keeps from getting dizzy.
According to the Bible, life works much the same way. God is immovable and unchanging, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is the point we can fix our eyes and our mind on. There are countless things in our lives that catch our attention and draw our eyes toward, as if they can provide the sense of stability we crave, but these things just can’t.
Are we in the first quarter or the fourth? I have no idea. The soothsayers seem to think the game is over, but that is probably because their focus is a bit blurred. I am counting on a comeback, but either way, I am learning to stay focused on the only one who can ultimately change things.