COVID-19 has impacted all of us. Many of the things that bring structure to our lives, like going to work, the gym, school, or going out to eat with friends, have now been disrupted as we follow safer-at-home orders. As the pandemic unfolded, we had little time to prepare and vague timelines for when it will end. It came unexpectedly, and as a result, it can be difficult for us to find our bearings. It may feel like our anchors have been lifted.
And as we now adapt to quarantine life, we are left to be with our own thoughts and feelings. For some of us, that may mean new anxieties, like about contagion or the long-term financial impact on our economy. Or balancing working from home and bored kids, or feeling lonely and isolated. Social media posts reflect that people are worried about many things — gaining weight from a lack of exercise or an increase in eating comfort food, feeling guilty for not being a good enough parent, or feeling concern for caring for a vulnerable loved one who is susceptible to the virus. We can’t escape our finitude.
Typically, our busyness is a good distraction from experiencing ourselves. We can avoid or distract ourselves from emotions that we don’t want to feel. Because to be with ourselves means that we have to face that we might feel anxious, bored, dissatisfied, or frustrated. But the coronavirus has shown us that busyness is unreliable. It’s only an illusion of protection. We are still, at our core, who we are, and now there is minimal escape.
But, as Christians, we can hold onto hope that we don’t need to abandon ourselves. Though our typical anchors have been lifted, we have an anchor that is firm and secure. Hebrews 6:17-19 says, “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Our hope in Jesus means that we are safe. God made an unchanging oath through Jesus, and God doesn’t break His promise. Jesus makes a way for us to be with God. We don’t have a distant security in Him, but His actual presence with us. We can face our anxieties because we are not alone. He is with us. Sometimes we avoid our emotions because we fear we will be lost in their abyss forever. But, instead, we can bring them to Him because He is our anchor — firm and secure.
It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay that being at home is showing you the actual things that are in your heart — friction with a loved one, fear about the future, a desire to control. He knows this, and He is with you, loving you there. So I invite you to take some time with Jesus today — the anchor for your soul. Here are some questions to guide your thoughts.
As you sit with Jesus:
- What feelings have been coming up for you during this time of quarantine?
- What types of things usually feel like an anchor for your life? How are they the same now? How are they different?
- What would it be like to give your current experience (thoughts, feelings, etc.) to Jesus?
- To what degree do you experience Jesus as your anchor? To what degree do you not?
- What do you need from Jesus today?
- What might Jesus be inviting you to today?
As you close your time, I invite you to sit with Jesus. You may want to listen to this song as you do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGe6ABM1tU0
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