John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This year’s March is different, unprecedented, or even horrifying to us due to COVID-19. For many of us, our lifestyle is forced to undergo a drastic change under the stay-home order. Right after I came back from the D.C. trip in early March, I started to experience changes in my life. With many changes in the area of work, schedule, social activities, and ministry, God convicted me that only He is the one who I can put complete trust in.
Earlier on this month, I was compelled to think through the essence of being a Christian. The speaker gave us a list of questions, asking whether or not it composes the essence of being a follower of Christ. I was puzzled, when hit by the statement “going to church on Sunday morning”. I immediately thought of people in my country during their quarantine time, when they were not able to worship God in the church building on Sunday morning. Does this change their identity as a Christian? The answer is no. They are still Christians, instead, they are probably “more” Christian than ever before. God draws His people even closer, to pray earnestly online, to meet more frequently using technology, to serve those in need…
To me, putting my whole trust in God means to trust in His goodness in every circumstance. If God takes away things from my life, usually what I’m comfortable with, I can say that Jesus alone is what I need. Last Sunday, without a normal church service, we did church together at home. We sang worship songs together and listened to sermon online. The normal communion was creatively replaced by pancake bread and strawberry juice. I realized that what makes a believer a true believer is the relationship with Jesus, rather than any other external add-ons.