Spiritual Nutrition during a Pandemic
By Cami Chang
We are now several weeks into our new COVID-19 lives. We’ve had to figure out new approaches to school, work, hobbies, and even grocery shopping. It’s easy in a crisis like this to fixate on our physical health and the physical food we eat. But we cannot neglect our spiritual health and the spiritual food we need.
As people who belong to Jesus Christ, we have hope for an eternal, glorious future. We know it won’t always be like this. But it’s difficult to keep a godly perspective when there is so much suffering. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with sick people. Death counts are rising all over the world. Unemployment is rising. As a human race, we are losing our safety, our security, our freedoms. How do we maintain our faith during times like these? How do we remind ourselves of who GOD is and who WE are?
We must feed our minds and our hearts with God’s Word, with the Bible. Just like our physical bodies, our spirits need sustenance, daily bread. We need to feed our faith, not our fear.
What have you been feeding your mind? Maybe some of you are like me - an information collector. Especially in the earlier days of outbreak, I would wake up and immediately check my phone for the “damage report”! Every spare moment I had, I would check the statistics again, read the news, research what the experts (and some not-so-experts) were saying, and then text with my friends about the case numbers or the new restrictions. It was a steady diet of information that fed my anxiety.
The Bible speaks to us: “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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:6–8 (ESV)
This passage gives three basic commands: 1) Do not be anxious. 2) Pray and give thanks. 3) Be wise in what you think about.
Feed your faith, not your fear. Think about what you are feeding your mind: the news, COVID-19 statistics, TV, social media. etc. Some of it is true and good. It is good to be informed about what is going on in the world. It is wonderful to be connected to friends. It’s helpful to have pleasant distractions to relax. But it is easy to go beyond what is good to overindulgence. “Informed, connected, and relaxed” can quickly become “fearful, discontent, and lazy.”
Just like with physical food, prioritize the nutritious staples in your spiritual diet over the extras. There’s a place for salty snacks and sweet desserts. But they aren’t very nutritious. Don’t keep snacking on the world when your soul needs to feed on the Word.
We need the Word of God. How can you ensure that you are having a healthy spiritual diet during this COVID-19 crisis? What specific changes can you make to make sure God’s Word is holding its place as your most important staple food? (I have definitely had to make some changes!)
Feeding yourself spiritually during this pandemic is probably going to look different from what it looked like before. However, God’s storehouse will never be depleted. You won’t find an empty shelf in the Psalms section. You won’t have to wait in long lines to receive from Him. God is not socially distant. His Word is available. He has provided. Now eat!
Additional passages about the value of God’s Word: Psalm 19:7-11, Isaiah 40:8, Isaiah 55:10-11
This devotional was originally shared in verbal form during the women’s devotional time on April 8. We are meeting weekly online on Wednesdays at 7:30pm. To join our next meeting, contact Kristin Gong kgong@wintersburg.org or Cami Chang cchang@wintersburg.org.