Hidden in this lockdown are opportunities. Are we making the most of them?
Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Most of us have a considerable amount of extra time during the lockdowns that are active in much of the world. A few of us introverts (like me) who can be creative in figuring out how to work remotely have little problem adapting. For others who find themselves suddenly deprived of all social contact, it’s practically torture. But for just about everyone, it’s hard not to let this time be filled with worry and stress when our health and, in many cases, our employment hangs in the balance.
However you feel about it, the fact remains that the vast majority of people have a lot of extra time. Whether it’s no commute to work, not working at all, no in-person school, or canceled social and recreational events, most of us have at least some extra time that we wouldn’t otherwise have had. We can argue about the merits of government policy and the ramifications for the economy all we want. The policy in your city, county, state, or country is what it is.
So what are we going to do with it?
Some people will simply not comply. They’ll conclude that it’s impossible to live life this way, and they’ll decide for themselves (and everyone else they come into contact with) that the temporary laws are too draconian and not worth obeying. They’ll conduct social visits and congregate in public places, or they’ll bend the rules to claim exemption from the policy. These people will likely be the primary spreaders and carriers of the disease.
For those who do comply, the idea that’s pervasive over much of the Internet is that you just need to figure out a way to avoid boredom, passing the time until life gets back to normal. I imagine Netflix, Hulu, Kindle Unlimited, and tons of other online services are going to see booming business over the next several weeks.
At first, this is how I saw the lockdown, too: as a sort of reprieve from real life for a few weeks. But Paul’s instruction in Ephesians, which I quoted at the top of this post, has changed my perspective.
It’s quite evident that these are evil days. A virus has invaded the world and is threatening our lives and our livelihoods. Yet time marches on, and as it does, so does the number of opportunities we have of which to make the most.
It is not true that we can’t live our lives even under the current conditions. I don’t think God ever leaves us without a way to carry out his mission in the world. There is far more to do than simply hole up and watch Netflix in every spare moment, and there are far better ways to do carry out God’s calling than flouting the law and risking the health of others. We can be extraordinarily thankful that we live in a day where there are so many ways to keep in contact with people remotely. We can find ways to minister to people, build people up, and even see them face-to-face in many cases, from a distance.
We also have an unparalleled opportunity to grow our relationship with God. Remember all those times you thought that you’d read your Bible more, spend more time in prayer, read those books or listen to those sermons, if only you had a little more time? Now, for many of us, that time is here.
I know that there are lots of bad things that come with this lockdown. For some, it may be just inconvenience and annoyance. But for others, there may be things that drive you crazy, threaten to break you down emotionally, threaten to cripple you with fear. But among this there is also opportunity, and it’s not an opportunity to be one of those people who ends up in a news article about people failing to practice social distancing. It’s an opportunity to, in some way, carry out God’s mission for each of us in the limited time we have in this world.
I, of course, need to be reminded of this just as much as anyone else. So how will we do that?
