Suggestions for Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
By Dave Lingle, Wisconsin Family Council Church Ambassador
SPECIAL TIME-SENSITIVE OPPORTUNITY: The Colson Center is offering “A CrashCourse in Culture and Worldview” next week. Five daily 1-hour-and-15-minute webinar sessions presented by John Stonestreet, Sean McDowell, and Brett Kunkle. You can register for it HERE.
- Do as many of the things you would normally do as possible. For the sake of your own emotional, and I would say spiritual health, don’t develop a cave mentality (crawling into the cave, close yourself in
and don’t come out for any reason). Be wise, practice the recommended guidelines for limiting the spread of germs, but don’t become hermits. That isn’t a healthy or normal way to live. I went out the other day and early-voted, picked up a salad for our supper and filled the tank with gas. It felt good to do normal kinds of things. - Don’t “panic buy” supplies, and don’t make any decisions based on emotional responses to this crisis. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound [sober] mind” (II Timothy 1:7).
- Check on your neighbors; you can do this with a phone call or a text message. My neighbors were recently on a vacation trip and I texted them to see if they were back and doing okay; people appreciate the contact.
- Contribute to a local food bank. With work cutbacks, closings or layoffs, more people than ever will need assistance. Help as you are able.
- Check on your neighbors; you can do this with a phone call or a text message. My neighbors were recently on a vacation trip and I texted them to see if they were back and doing okay; people appreciate the contact. WFC President Julaine Appling was on a White House briefing call this week regarding the COVID-19 situation. One of the doctors on the President’s task force astutely said, “Don’t let social distancing become social isolation.”
- Maintain your Bible reading and devotional commitment. Now is not the time to sit around watching TV. Read some good books. Listen to some good music. Lesson to some good podcasts. I personally like The World and Everything In It, from World News, and The Briefing, from Al Mohler. And be sure to add our WFC podcasts to your list: Wisconsin Family Minute, Wisconsin Family Connection, and Home Front.
- Tackle some projects around the house. Maybe you have been thinking about painting a room, or making some repairs, or doing some upgrades. Now is a great time to tackle those things. Go out and purchase those needed supplies, which helps the economy and local businesses, and then make those improvements.
- FaceTime or Skype with friends and family. We miss holding our grands and hanging with them, but they have been sick (NOT with COVID-19) and school is closed; so they have been staying home, and we see them via FaceTime.
- No one knows if you are live-streaming your church’s services or not, but do it anyway. It will help you stay connected with your local body of believers. If your church does not have this technology, then the next best thing is to participate in what someone else is doing.
- Maintain your financial support of your local church. I have said this in several venues−this thing isn’t going to last forever. If we want our pastors and ministries to survive, we MUST continue to support them.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5).
- Pray. “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).
- Pray for healthcare workers who are on the front lines. Pray for protection of their health and protection of the health of their families. Pray for your pastors and the leaders of your church.
- Pray God will use this crisis to draw people to Himself.
- Pray for your local, state and national elected officials. Download the If 7:14 app on your smart phone, if you have one, as a reminder to pray twice a day for them.
