The coronavirus and all that has come with it have been difficult for many people. Millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths are reported.
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Loss comes to all of us, but there are many ways to recover.
But many have suffered more than the loss of physical health. According to Fortune, the unemployment rate has jumped. Some experts are already talking about Great Depression era-like job losses. Loss of mental, emotional, and relational health is happening to record numbers of people as well.
When dealing with loss and the grief accompanying it, your emotions can race and scatter your thoughts. During this confusing and complicated time, we need to remember a few simple truths from the Bible. God will use those concepts to help us understand what we are experiencing and give us hooks on which to hang our emotions.
Call out to God. Many kinds of loss can be heart-wrenching experiences. Let God know. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). Deliverance may mean God will, for instance, give you your job back. Or not. Sometimes he needs to redirect your life, and other times he wants your attention.
Restart or revamp your devotions. This would be a great time to get better connected to the Lord. Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). We should connect to God’s Word daily as much as we connect to literal food.
Talk to a Christian friend. Positive relationships can be valuable in helping us get a better perspective through the experience of loss. Even if you are in quarantine, you can schedule a weekly FaceTime, phone call, or other appropriate meetings with a brother or sister in the Lord to talk about your situation.
Take one day at a time. The emotional roller-coaster can be overwhelming. At times you may feel fine. And sometimes, the regret sinks in as you think about things you could have done differently or said differently. Emotions can wreak havoc on anyone, including believers.
When Jesus told us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). He didn’t want us to be overly worried about the week, the month, or the next ten years. What he wanted was our dependence on God for our daily needs. So, especially after a loss, we should take one day at a time. The loss may never go away entirely, but I pray that every day gets easier. Don’t give up. Keep talking to God, your family and friends, and keep seeking what to do with each day as they come.
Do something productive every day. There is a time to chill and not think about work. But there are only so many even informative videos to stream before you become unproductive. Even during a fairly severe depression, a little positive activity every day helps the healing process. Read a book, apply for unemployment, get rid of some things on eBay, clean a room or cupboard, or shower. Whatever are reasonable next steps, write them down and start working on them a little at a time.
Real comfort will come as you rest in the relationship you have as the child of the wisest, most powerful, most loving, most gracious, most forgiving, and most faithful Person in the universe. He has promised never to leave you (Joshua 1:5, Heb.13:5). He is committed to making even the worst moments in your life result in good (Romans 8:28–38). And He will give you everything you need to face whatever you encounter in this fallen world, even death itself (2 Peter 1:3).