” Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas, you do not know what will happen tomorrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
~ James 4:13-17
It is no longer news that the world is battling the increasing impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. While it is important to act responsibly by self isolating or staying at home in order to stop the spread of the virus, the sudden availability of free time can become a pain rather than a relief to people who have no idea of how to utilise the time productively.
I strongly believe that a lot of people prior to this break have always craved for some free time to enable them attend to certain tasks but their busy schedules never gave them the opportunity. It is now time to work on those things, I suppose. Such things like spending time with family members to making healthy changes in ones habit, health, hobbies, taking time out to try new things, reading new books, acquiring new skills and certifications, watching inspirational and life changing documentaries, movies or shows, amongst several other things.
As much as we now desire that things return to normalcy, it will do everyone of us good to adjust at a time like this, knowing that there is nothing we can do to change the new developments experienced all over the world but to just trust God to see us through it all by His grace.
Talking about making the most of the time, there are several things we can decide to engage in to ensure our time is wisely spent while we go through this phase. These include things we can do for ourselves and others.
~ SPEND TIME STUDYING THE WORD AND RELATING WITH GOD MORE: A lot of us have a thousand and one excuses as to the reason why we do not have time to study God’s Word or pray as we ought to. I guess God Himself has decided to take some things out of the way in order to get the attention of quite a number of people who fall into this category. Our excuses includes work, traffic, tight schedules, dreams and aspirations, which all in itself are not bad if these does not take the place of God in our lives. The truth is everything that matters to us outside God’s Word and His person will someday become irrelevant and of no use but His Word will always be relevant. It is here to stay and it will do us good to make it our priority. Now is the time to make it a date with our Maker. Stop making up excuses because there is really no excuse. Luke 14:18-19
~ TAKE COURSES ONLINE: Gone are the days when you need to be in a physical classroom to acquire new knowledge and certifications. There are several certified courses that can be taken online to add value to oneself and at the same time use the free time available in a productive manner. Look up courses that appeal to you and have fun taking the classes online. You will be amazed at how interesting and fulfilling this can be. You probably won’t be able to do this the moment the world resumes from its compulsory holiday, why not do it now and add this to your resume. Matthew 18:15-16
~ GET CREATIVE WITH ACQUIRED SKILLS OR HOBBIES : I personally love to cook but life sometimes gets in the way and makes me eat what I consider quick and easy to prepare. At a time like this however, hubby has no choice but to join in trying some new recipes and favorite meals. Let the children join in such beautiful moments if you wish, this actually gives room for bonding in the family and what better time do you have to do this than now that there is so much free time at hand. It is not a time to sit down and cross your legs while someone does the cooking and serves you the meal. (I guess some really traditional guys are vexing now 🤓🤓). I have got the back of the guys also. It’s time for the ladies to join in watching soccer, play some video games (with caution though… because this can be very addictive). Try other hobbies like crafts, drawing, singing, ETC. Have fun with your family and do what you love.
~ BE INTENTIONAL IN LEARNING ABOUT PLACES AND DIFFERENT CULTURES: My desire to further my trip in missions to the nations of the world has greatly increased as a result of the Covid 19 outbreak, considering that no one can predict what is to come the next moment. We all slept and woke up us as citizens of different countries only to realize that we have a common enemy which threatens our collective wellbeing. What if the end had actually come suddenly just the same way Covid 19 started? There is no more time to waste, no room for hatred, tribalism, racism and closed borders between nations as a result of feeling superior to other nations, knowing that God created humans to relate and connect with one another. The virus has disregarded borders, ethnicity, status, gender and has decided to treat everyone equally. Sad as it sounds, the truth is “Even the mighty are victims.” No one needs to tell those who consider themselves as “mighty”, “superior” and “untouchable ” that we are all humans and as such, equal before God, regardless of our color, culture, ethnicity and geographical location. Ephesians 2:14, Psalm 67:4, Philippians 2:3
~ SHARE BIBLE STORIES AND PROPHECIES : Just like John the Baptist, be His mouthpiece. Everyone needs to hear about the return of our King. Our children need to hear it as well. Now is the time to make out time to share Bible stories with God’s precious little gifts to us. Whether we like it or not, believe it or not, all that He said in His Word will come to pass. There will come a time when there will be increased sorrows and people need to be aware of this because this present world is definitely going to come to an end and this begins with you knowing the details from His Word to share it with others. The world is yet to see anything… There is a need to share the hope that Christ offers to His own despite the scary events that are to come. Make known His desire, warnings, eternal plan , etc, through all platforms including the social media and any other available medium of communication. Do not keep silent about the truth of His Word, knowing that what makes the world panic does not move Him in the real send because He knows what He is dong at all times? He is in charge of all things and we all have to walk in reverence of this God who is capable of changing the course of things whenever He chooses to. Things will not always be as we want but if we remain in His will and plan, we are sure we will not just end well but reign with Him eternally. This world and its pleasures will pass away but an eternity spent with Him is what truly matters. Romans 15:4, Psalm 96:3
Make the most of this time being productive and ultimately doing things that bring Him all the glory.
Stay Safe.
Shalom.
Author Profile
- Temitope is the founder of thesoulmeal.com, an online platform that she shares with her God-given spiritual family and friends. She is a speaker, teacher and youth counselor. She is passionate about inspiring people to find their identity in Christ. Catch her interviewing inspiring leaders on Tongue of the Learned Podcast
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