RESPONDING WELL:
A PRACTICAL RESPONSE TO OUR DIFFICULT TIMES
by Joseph Siacunco, Grace Chapel Business Director
During this season in our world, there may be a shortage of toilet paper in the stores, but there is certainly not a shortage of fear, panic, and uncertainty.
Yet people of faith can be certain of our hope and future in Jesus Christ. Upon Him, we cast our fears and burdens. He calls us to lay our burdens upon Him:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
Casting our fears on Jesus releases us from having to respond to events out of fear and panic and frees us to respond in a God-honoring way, allowing us to exercise practical wisdom in our response.
Before we jump into the practical side of things, we should always begin with prayer, asking God for guidance. We rely on His providence to help us be Kingdom-minded and understand the truth behind all circumstances. In all things, we can be certain that God is involved and at work. In His sovereignty, we know that He is allowing or orchestrating events to bring Him glory, and for the good of those who love Him, though that may not always feel comfortable. His sovereignty does not equate to our comfort, but rather our conformity to the Imago Dei.
During this season, one practical way to continue to honor God is to do what the Apostle Paul did while in Corinth. During his visit, he was intentional about not being an unnecessary burden upon the Corinthians, yet also obediently received the generous help of the Macedonians.
“And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.” 2 Cor. 11:9 (NIV)
There are at least two practical lessons we can learn from this verse.
The first lesson that Paul is trying to communicate is that He was not a burden to anyone because he had what he needed. Others in the body of Christ willingly and generously supplied his needs, but he had to receive it obediently. In doing so, he exemplified the generosity of Christ’s church while also not burdening the church in Corinth. If you find yourself in need, please do not hesitate to ask for help! We want to be a church that glorifies God by being generous. Likewise, if you are in a position to help, consider if your role is to be generous to your church or others around you.
The second lesson which may be a behind the scenes story is that the church in Macedonia was able to supply the Apostle Paul’s needs. This means that they had ample supplies and resources to give away. In our current crisis, we should try to be as self-sustaining as possible, so we will not be an unnecessary burden, but also have enough resources to give to those in need.
At this point, I offer my personal and unprofessional advice on how to be practically prepared for this crisis. These suggestions are by no means a rule of thumb or vetted standards but rather just words of advice. Feel free to consult actual professionals in this arena such as FEMA or the CDC.
1. FOOD: Have at least 30 days of food and water. Even if grocery stores are open, we want to limit our exposure to crowds. Consider food that is perishable and non-perishable. Canned foods work great for longer storage. If water is hard to find at the store, be creative: i.e. – buy food safe buckets and fill with tap water and seal with the lid.
2. MEDICAL SUPPLIES: Think about medications you regularly use and have enough to last for several months. Remember, if the medical system gets overwhelmed, getting your prescriptions filled will likely be difficult.
3. SAFETY EQUIPMENT: If you don’t have masks or gloves yet, consider other places that might have these things such as paint stores, auto part stores, janitorial stores, etc…
4. PERSONAL SAFETY: You will need to think about how to maintain your safety while also having a generous disposition towards your neighbors.
5. TAKE INVENTORY: Walk throughout your house and take an inventory of things you use on a daily or frequent basis that you may be taking for granted. If you had to forgo this “widget” for an extended period of time, would you be okay? If not, either consider obtaining reserves or finding alternatives.
6. ENTERTAINMENT: Come up with ideas on how to preoccupy yourself, your family, and your kids.
Come up with board games, video game marathons, Netflix binges, etc.
7. FAITH: Design a family devotional Bible plan and become a praying family. There is no better time than now to learn and teach your family how to pray better together as a family.
8. COMMUNITY: Create a Slack group with your neighbors to do regular check-ins to see how they are doing and find ways to support each other while being responsible for maintaining social distancing requirements.
These examples are just a short list of ideas on practical ways you can be self-sustainable in a physical sense. By no means is this list exhaustive but we wanted to offer a few ideas in hopes that we will continue to be the church in a world that desperately needs light, hope, and physical aid.
Yours in Christ!
Joseph Siacunco
