What has this got to do with Covid-19? In the last four months the world, including you and I, have been busy adapting to life in this pandemic. In the process of adapting, we could only do the minimal which is necessary to sustain life. Certain things, for example, dining in restaurants or going overseas for holidays were put aside until things, we hope, would return to near pre-Covid-19 situation. These things we set aside included also going to church premises for worship, church visitation ministry, sharing the gospel with unbelievers by meeting up with them, et cetera. For some this list may include also being unable to attend Sunday Worship online due to technical breakdowns of the internet and devices like handphones, computers, or television set. “It’s ok to miss one or two worship services,” we reason with ourselves, “because my device broke down, or there was this or that thing that disrupted my Sunday Worship.”
Some pastors fear (correctly) that some Christians might even stop coming to church premises for worship. “After all,” so these people say, “we can worship God online.” Can we? No. I said this some months ago. Let me repeat: God created us to be social beings who need to come and meet each other physically. That is why you have a physical body, ears, eyes, and mouth. That is why mothers need to touch her baby physically to assure her baby of her love. For the same reason, when you are sad, a pat on the shoulder or a hug brings comfort. We are created to communicate with each other through physical presence.
Are you in a spiritual deep sleep? I want to alert you to this: some things you put aside temporarily in order to adapt to measures taken to curb Covid-19 must not be put aside permanently. Many of these things, including coming together physically to worship God in the church premises, visiting needy people, sharing the gospel with unsaved people, and other spiritual meetings, are not optional but critical for life on earth. Thus, Heb 10:24-25 says,
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
We are too long into this temporary situation. It is time to re-start important and critical routines. If you are not regularly attending worship service, caring for needy people, or sharing the gospel, we must start moving ourselves physically, and wake up from our spiritual deep sleep. The apostle Paul instructs us, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16).
The days are “evil.” There are many sinful and worldly things, including Covid-19, that will choke our spiritual life and waste our life. Husbands and wives, and Christians in the same church must watch out for each other’s spiritual life. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).