These are strange times we are living in. The fact that I am currently locked away in my master bedroom on a fourteen-day government-mandated quarantine is proof enough. There is a lot of panic taking place around the world because of COVID-19. Long lines at stores to buy sanitizer and toilet paper, runs on meat and canned goods, stock markets diving deep, then the next day diving even deeper—it’s hard to believe only three months have passed since we joyfully celebrated Christmas with friends and family. Our world has most definitely changed.

But this is life now. We can wish it were different. We can pretend it’s not happening. Yet no matter how much we want our world to go back to how it was, this is our new reality. So how do we deal with it? Let me offer two suggestions.

First, put faith over fear. Fear comes from not knowing. It comes from looking at our limited information of the situation, then drawing our own conclusions. We watch the news, we read articles, we immerse ourselves in social media; then we try to sleep at night and we wonder why sleep doesn’t come. Notice who is missing from that informational input list—God. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord declares, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). God is in control. He wasn’t caught off guard. When the virus ramped up its spread, he didn’t say, “Oh no, I didn’t see this coming. What am I going to do now?”

If fear comes from not knowing, faith comes from the opposite—that which we do know. What is it that we know with absolute certainty? It’s not the spread and mortality of the virus or whether we will contract it ourselves. It’s not the full extent of the financial impact or how long the process will be to recovery. What we do know is God. Our Lord is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Who is this deity who deserves our trust and our devotion? He is the one true God—the God of love and compassion. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at once. Our God is the Creator of all things, the great Ruler over the universe—so far beyond us, yet so close to us that he knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Our Shepherd knows all of his sheep by name and loves and takes care of each and every one of us (John 10:14).

Our circumstances have changed; our God has not. He is as much with you as he’s ever been. That is why we can have peace in a time such as this. We know that if Jesus is our Savior and Lord, then no matter what happens we are good. When fear begins to creep in and the what-if questions take over your mind, stop and pray the words of Paul to the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Those verses are a promise. With faith comes peace—and peace opens the door to purpose.

My second suggestion is that you determine to make this time count. We have been given a unique opportunity to stop the busyness of our lives and breathe. It’s like having a forced time-out. “You go sit in the corner and think about how you’re going to change, young man!” Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that COVID-19 is some kind of punishment from God. Rather, I see these times as another example of how God can take the unfortunate and the difficult and the painful and make something good out of it.

It all comes down to our attitude toward this normality break. We can sit and be miserable. We can get angry and frustrated. We can live in fear and denial. Or we can say, “Okay, God, how do you want me to change? What do you want me to learn? How can I better serve you?”

Just a few suggestions—first, use this break to finally develop a rock-solid quiet time habit. The excuse of “I’m just too busy” doesn’t hold true anymore. And if you are in a family with children, help your spouse out with this. Husbands, tell your wives, “I’ve got the kids for the next thirty minutes. Go spend your time with the Lord.” Then, after a half hour, switch. Time in the Bible and in prayer each day will draw you closer to God and will do wonders for keeping peace in your heart during this societal upheaval.

Second, extend your prayer time. Maybe pick a different prayer focus for each day of the week: Monday for your spouse; Tuesday for your children; Wednesday for your extended family; Thursday for your friends and their families; Friday for the world and for missions; Saturday for the government and the nation’s leaders; and Sunday as God leads you. If there was ever a need for more prayer, this is it.

Finally, expand your ministry reach. Many people are going to be scared. Many others are going to feel isolated and lonely. The phone is the ultimate “social distancing” breaker. With just three phone calls a day to family or friends or even those widows and widowers from your church, you can have a wonderful impact on twenty-one people a week. For many, this will challenge your comfort zone, but you’ll be amazed as you hear God’s words coming from your mouth and you’ll be encouraged by how powerful something so simple can be in another person’s life.

Wouldn’t it be a shame if we were to waste this opportunity? If we come out of this the same people we were before, we will have thrown away a once-in-a-lifetime chance to immerse ourselves fully in the things of God. The Lord is in control. Let him deal with the world situation. Our focus should be on what we can change—namely, ourselves. Let’s keep our eyes on him, open ourselves up to his leading, and commit to growing in him so that we’re ready to be powerful servants of God when we come out the other side of these weird times.

—Joel