Never Waste a Good Crisis

There’s an old saying, “Never waste a good crisis.”  What began as a health crisis has spread to economics, business, education . . . everyday life.  God has a history of flipping crisis for his glory.

So what is God working in this? 
What is he teaching us? 
What good could come from crisis? 
 
A gut check for faith. 

You can talk about faith.  You can do a Bible Study on faith.  But you cannot understand faith until it is tested. 
You trusted him when things are good.  Will you trust him now?  You waited on the Lord when the stock market was at 29,000.  Will you wait on him when it’s at 21,000 (or lower)?  Will you refuse to give into fear or panic?  Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.  (Rev. 13:10)

Uncluttered Time

Many of you will have excessive margin in your schedule.  Events, schools, and businesses are shut down.  What will you do with this gift of extra hours and days?  Be careful not to waste quarantine time.  Don’t binge it all away.  You have been given a unique pocket of time.  Pray, worship, read.  Renew your relationships with spouse, family, neighbors, and friends.  Reflect on priorities and callings.  (Ecc. 3:1; Eph. 5:15-16)

Opportunity to Love Thy Neighbor

With uncluttered time you have unprecedented opportunity to love and serve your neighbor and fulfill the Great Commandment.  Run errands for homebound or elderly neighbors.  Share supplies.  Make phone calls to isolated friends.  Consider kids who depend on school meals for nourishment.  Assist a neighbor with a struggling business. 
Crisis always tempts us to survival mode, a turning in toward self.  Push the other way.  What does my neighbor need?  (Matt. 20:26-28; Mark 12:29-31; Jn. 15:12-13)
 
House Church Movement

We cannot gather in large groups.  Is God returning the Christian church to her ancestral roots?  The Greek word for “church” means “gathering” or “assembly.”  But the first Christians did not gather in church buildings.  Outside of the synagogue, it was the home, hillside, and marketplace.  Make your house or apartment the church.  Gather your family or a few friends.  Most every church is providing online resources.  (Deut. 6:4-9; Rom. 16:5; I Cor. 16:15)

Destruction of Idols

Recent years have come with unprecedented prosperity in our nation.  Did our wealth, comfort, and security mask an underlying condition?  Is the coronavirus exposing a more fatal infection?  Have we placed godlike trust in idols that are unqualified for such a status?

The rivals of God get revealed in crisis, and he renders them impotent.  Our greed, pride, and complacency are exposed.  Any person or thing that we have trusted is proven to be dry grass in the wind.  Crisis leave us helpless.  We realize once again that there is none other than our God. 

God flips crisis for glory. 

Historically, our God has always delivered people out of dead-end situations.  He flipped death to resurrection.  The weak to strong.  The sinner to saint.  So now we anticipate his intervention.  We wait in earnest expectation.  We trust that God will do a mighty work that will leave us in awe.  (Psalm 30:11-12)

How will God surprise us? 
How will his Kingdom come in ways we never imagined? 
What will we do when he confounds us with his mighty hand and outstretched arm? 

“You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us . . .”  (Ps. 40:5)

“You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.” (Ps. 40:17)