Sometimes, obeying the “Stay At Home” order feels a little bit like house arrest.
We’re free to go anywhere within the confines of our home and yard, but supposed to avoid everywhere else. It didn’t feel confining at first, but before you know it, you’re left wondering, “Aren’t there any other rooms in this place?” You start mentally measuring walls distances, convinced that the walls are closing in. You find yourself setting up shop in a room you almost never spend time in just to be somewhere else. Stepping out the door toward your car, you feel the immense, collective societal pressure to run back inside.
Then you begin to realize just how many people you HAVEN’T interacted with that you normally would have by this point in the day. It’s an introvert's dream until they realize that they like cancelling plans better than not having any. It’s an extrovert’s nightmare from start to finish.
I know it started to get to my head. I became frozen with the thought of just how weird life is. I randomly and constantly discovered new ways that people are being impacted by Coronavirus that blew my mind. For many people, they’ve been a little stir crazy and wonder what to do with themselves. The thought often enters our mind in the form of, “How do I kill some time?”
I’m going to argue that as disciples of Christ, we should pursue a different mindset.
What if instead of “killing time” we saw our isolation through the apostle Paul’s perspective when he was under house arrest? My mind kept drifting back to Paul’s situation because it is clear that Paul didn’t sit around under house arrest trying to pass the time until he was freed. In Philippians 1:12-14 & 19-20, Paul sees life through the past, present, and future as he considers the advancement of the Gospel:
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear...Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”
Paul first considered what had happened since his imprisonment. He recognized that his house arrest had actually led to the spread of the Gospel to the point that “the whole imperial guard” knew that he represented Christ. God had used Paul’s unfavorable circumstances for good! By looking back, the apostle learned that there was a benefit to his current situation and that it did not impede God’s work. In this, we are reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
God’s understanding and power is greater than ours. So He asks us to trust Him to make a straight path through any obstacle.
Paul’s look into the past helped inform the present. He saw how his brothers and sisters in Christ were emboldened to stand for the Word. I’m guessing that he was reminded that God did not only want to use him to share the Gospel, but other believers as well. His present reality, although under arrest, brought him such great joy! His joy was obvious and infectious throughout the entire letter to the Philippians, a great encouragement to the church he planted. He found joy and satisfaction in knowing that he was still playing a role in God’s work. He confidently wrote, “my imprisonment is for Christ”.
What we learn from Paul is that the sovereignty of God is in how He leads His people toward making the best of any and every situation.
Lastly, Paul set his eyes toward the future. He looks forward not only to the further proclamation of the Gospel but also his own “deliverance”. He was confident that God would hear and respond to the prayers of the Philippi church. He has a future hope of freedom from his house arrest. We know from his other letters that his expectations were met as he was finally released from house arrest at some point. His imprisonment did not cause him to stagnate. Despite his chains, it is commonly believed that he wrote letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon. His circumstances did not keep him from Kingdom productivity.
Paul’s mindset is 100 times better than a “kill some time” one. Let’s adopt his example and be mindful of how God has, is, and will be at work during this time of our lives. Envision what you want to have accomplished once the “Stay At Home” order has been lifted.
To help us adopt this mindset, I have a few questions for you to consider:
1. How is God using these circumstances to advance the Gospel in His Church and your life personally? What needed pruning?
2. How do we get to live in light of our current situation? What do we get to think, say, and do?
3. How do we continue to set and accomplish spiritual goals during a time of so much uncertainty? What do we have to look forward to as brothers and sisters in Christ?
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