The past month or so has been crazy, and we have found ourselves trapped in our homes. At this point, we have no sports, movie theaters, parks, proms, graduations, and we cannot physically shop or visit our older family members! Accepting our new normal, has been quite challenging, but perhaps God is saying, It’s time to push the reset button. It’s time to start over.
When I was younger, I loved playing Nintendo. When things got all out of sorts, I would push the reset button. This allowed the game to start from the beginning. It gave me a fresh start. Now with the current pandemic, I have asked God one simple question. God, what are you saying to us? The answer was simple, reset!
Reset? What does that mean? It can mean many different things. Family Game Nights, family dinners at the kitchen table, exercising, flourishing ministries, quiet devotional time, and bible study. They have all, if we’re honest, not been a consistent part of our lives. Our busy lives with our busy careers, kids’ busy after-school activities, social media, etc., have all distracted us from getting closer to our family, spouses, and most importantly, God. James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”
So, how do we reset? If we are honest, some of us, are praying like never before. We want things to return to normal. We want people to get well. We are tired of our routines being interrupted. We are tired of being cooped up in our houses. We now want God to do something. Heal our land! “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Yes, please heal our land; but what if God says, not yet? Are we going to be guilty of doing what we did after September 11, 2001? Drawing nigh to God for a quick moment? Are we going to use God as our spare tire? If you’ve ever used a spare tire, you are very aware of its purpose. It’s for temporary use. It’s not to be used permanently. It’s just to get us to our destinations safely, before getting our tire replaced with a permanent one.
God is saying, wake up! Stop playing games! Yes, we serve a powerful God. In fact, he’s so powerful that He could instantly heal our land if he desired. But, He does NOT want to be our spare tire. After we get what we want, are we going to go back to business as usual? We need to get back to loving and spending time with our families, like families did many years ago. Believe it or not, video games were not the first games. During this pandemic, I have had the pleasure of teaching my kids some of my favorite games as a child. They have loved every minute of it. Fast food has become a thing of the past. We’re cooking more, and we are all eating dinner together as a family. Family devotional time has become a consistent time of the week, and we are getting back to our first love.
I encourage you to write a letter to yourself now. What have you learned during this quarantine? Refuse to go back to life as it was prior to the quarantine. Make up in your mind to not go back to business as usual! Instead of whining and complaining about being cooped up, learn something new. Make a vow to become a better you!
Through this pandemic, allow this to be a time of renewal, rejuvenation, and revival. "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall yet not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43: 18-19. It's time to reset!
