“Yes I gotta have faith faith faith”
I was reading a number of academic articles on how people were coping during the pandemic. There was one key coping strategy which cropped up time and again. This theme was faith. It was not a case of people renouncing their faith — quite the opposite — it was the renaissance of faith. People were reviving or drawing closer to their faith to weather the storm caused by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. According to the American Psychological Association, faith and belief were seen by many clinicians as an important way to cope with trauma and distress. Research identified that those who made better use of the faith based coping methods, had better outcomes then those who struggled with God and their religion.
Faith helps people cope with adversity by encouraging them to reassess events from the perspective of “hope”. Faith enables people to foster a sense of connectedness, through prayer or meditation or being part of a fellowship. The physical doors of the church were closed during lockdown to prevent further spread of the virus. However, churches and other faith groups, have reported an unprecedented number of congregants and general public joining services online. In the words of a newspaper article, the Coronavirus has triggered a search for the divine.
I personally have leaned and depended on my faith in God and Jesus Christ for strength during the challenging times we live in. I am sharing this as I cannot help but agree with the documented scientific research being published now, that faith is helping people cope with the stress and anxiety caused by lockdown, quarantine and the rise of Covid -19 cases.
How has my faith in God helped me? My perception of God is not harsh or strict authority figure in the sky as others may believe. God is loving, and compassionate. God is a healer. To be downright honest, He is my dad, my abba. Before you roll our eyes, and start thinking “oh here we go again”, allow me to explain.
In times of loneliness, God is our companion as indicated in the following promise in Hebrew 13:5 “For He hath said, I will never leave thee nor foresake thee”
In times when our parents aren’t around, God is our Father . Romans 8:15 gives us the promise that we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
In times of fear, God is our Protector. Psalm 56:3 says that when we are afraid, we can put our trust in God.
In times of sickness, God is our Healer. In Exodus 15:26, his promise to us is that He is the Lord who heals us.
In times of furlough, redundancy and job loss, God is our provider. Philippians 4:19 indicates that God shall supply all our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.
In times of lack, God is the Giver of gifts. His promise to you in James 1:17, is that every good and perfect gift from above, comes from Him.
Maybe you are facing a crisis in your life that seems insurmountable, and you don’t know how much you can take it. Maybe you have lost your job and run out of money. Can I extend an invitation to you to call on God today just like a did, once upon a time? God is for you. He is not against you. He is the embodiment of love and compassion. His special promise just for you is unfolded in Jeremiah 31:3. Will you accept His lifeline today?
