Steps to cope with the pandemic stress

by with No Comment Mental health

Nobody could have guessed that we would still be talking about the coronavirus and the stress it has produced in our society. Let’s see some steps to cope with the pandemic stress. What we thought was going to be temporary and would quickly disappear has come to stay, taking over 200,000 lives so far, and this number is expected to increase with winter’s arrival.

In the end, we have lost sight of what is “normal.” And, in addition, our biggest concern now, according to Fauci, is the probability of not going back to normal until 2022.

Amid this pandemic, then, a question is raised: what are the people who are surviving this pandemic doing to survive this crisis? The answer is simple and complex at the same time. One of the things these people do is learn how to handle the stress this pandemic is creating.

What is stress?

It is a feeling of physical or emotional tension. It can come from external or internal experiences that make a person feel frustrated, angry, or even nervous. God, in His wisdom, created us in such a masterful way that our bodies are designed to react to any challenge or demand, and, this happens through stress. That means stress is a positive thing for our bodies since it allows us to avoid dangers or fulfill important tasks we have in life.

Stress itself is not a bad thing. The American Psychological Association compares it to the tension of a violin string. If there is little tension, the sound will come out weak and out of tune, if there is too much tension, it will be strident, or the string will break. They also mention, “Stress can be the kiss of death or the spice of life. It is a matter of how to handle it.”

Acute stress

Acute stress is the positive stress we experience. It is the short-term stress that disappears quickly. The best-known reaction to acute stress is the “fight or flight” reaction that arises when you perceive a threat. In these situations, your reaction allows your brain to secrete hormones (for example, cortisol and adrenaline) that allow the pulse and breathing to increase, the muscles to tense, and the brain to consume more oxygen and increase its activity.

The purpose of this kind of stress is to help you survive. You can feel it when you have to turn in an assignment on a specific date, when you step on the brake because a car got in your way, or when a dog starts chasing you. This kind of stress helps you control dangerous situations.

Chronic stress

But, the problem is when stress lasts a long time and becomes chronic stress. Any kind of stress that continues over the weeks or months is chronic. The dangerous aspect of this whole process is that the body gets used to it and does not realize the toxic stress it is experiencing. The body produces a higher level of stress hormones and does not have enough time to recover from it. These hormones build up in the blood and cause serious health problems.

Chronic stress affects the digestive system causing stomach pain, since it takes more time for the stomach to empty after eating, and it can also lead to gastritis and even ulcers. It affects the person’s weight, sometimes leading to obesity because the level of appetite increases.

The immune system is also affected because stress weakens it, which makes the person more susceptible to catching a cold and developing other infections. The nervous system also suffers due to chronic stress, producing anxiety, depression, loss of sleep, and lack of interest in physical activities. It also affects the cardiovascular system, leading to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and fat in the blood, which produce serious cardiovascular problems.

Stress due to the pandemic

Now, why have I decided to talk about the stress this week? Because four out of five people say they have stress due to this pandemic. Fear and anxiety regarding the pandemic and what could happen to us produce a feeling of uncertainty in people, and it can be overwhelming, generating strong emotions in both adults and children.

The isolation measures that have been put in place to control the pandemic make many people feel isolated and lonely, and, likely, stress and anxiety could also increase due to these factors.

How do you know if you are experiencing chronic stress during the pandemic? Generally, chronic stress manifests itself in several ways: digestive system diseases, skin diseases, heart problems, feelings of uncertainty or feeling unsafe, and learned helplessness. It can also cause insomnia, anxiety, depression, emotional fatigue, and even alcohol and/or toxic substance abuse.

A new study developed by the clinical psychologist Emily Kroska at the University of Iowa shows how people can reduce stress during the coronavirus pandemic. The study was called: Psychological Flexibility in the Context of COVID-19, and it was published in the Contextual Behavioral Science Journal.

The study found that people who assessed their emotions as sadness, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and, similar, and then managed those emotions with conscious actions such as calling a friend or a family member, reported having lower levels of stress compared to those who did not want to assess the emotions they experienced.

Steps to cope with the pandemic stress

The steps to follow to deal with and overcome the negative feelings and emotions we may be feeling due to the current situation are:

Step 1: Normalize your daily routine

It is advisable and very important to have good habits and routines in the times we are currently living in. Try to get enough sleep, eat healthily and regularly, and try to maintain order and hygiene in your house. This will help you feel better and in a better environment. Even if we do not believe so, when we are facing stress, we tend to neglect even the most basic things. Keep in mind that they are the basis of survival.

Step 2: Pamper yourself a little

Do simple things like:

  • eating the food you like,
  • bathing at the temperature you like best,
  • listening to your favorite song,
  • and talking and talking with your friends.

Spend at least 15 or 20 minutes on one of these activities, and you will see that you will get wonderful results.

Step 3: Seek to communicate with God

It is the most important thing, what we should pursue the most when starting our day. A day entrusted to God is an entirely different kind of day. You will have a more positive perspective, through which you will walk with God’s company and support. He is the source of love and understanding, and He will understand everything you are going through. He will be your rock to whom you can hold.

Step 4: Do not read all the news

Learn to filter and screen excessive information. It is good to be informed and updated. However, it is not good to feel overloaded with pessimistic news and overwhelming events. Use the time to go for a walk and make the best out of it. Take deep breaths of clean air or play with your children. And whenever you read the news, read reliable sources.

Step 5: Seek professional help if you need it

What happens with other organs also happens with the brain: it gets tired, it gets sick, and it becomes unstable. If you feel that what is happening now in this pandemic exceeds the emotional tools you have to face and overcome stressful situations. Do not hesitate to seek professional help.

Mental health professionals are fully trained. They are able to provide people with the support, tools, and techniques they need to move forward. You will see that your mental and physical health will improve significantly.

Step 6: Help others

I will briefly tell you one story that caught my attention. Nieng, who lives in Cambodia, has suffered several tragedies in her life. In 1974, she was hurt by a bomb that exploded at an airport. A year later, her two children, her mother, and her husband died. In 2000, she lost her home and other possessions in a fire. And three years later, she lost her second husband. She reached a point when she thought about taking her own life.

Fortunately, Nieng found a way to cope with her situation. She also read the Bible. What she learned helped her in such a way that she wanted to share it with others. Her story confirms the findings of a study developed by British researchers in 2008: to deal with stress, you will have to “do things for others.” And this is a “piece of advice that was written a long time ago in the Bible” (Acts 20:35).

Nieng also took refuge in the hope of a better future, in which all the problems humanity has been eliminated and peace will fill the earth (Psalm 72:7,8).

She found a way to face her situation and move forward. You can do the same. When we take God’s hand, nothing is impossible for us. We will be able to face all difficult situations, even this pandemic.

My friend who is reading this post today,

I advise you to follow these steps so that you can move forward amid this situation we are facing today. Do you know any other way to face situations like the one we are living today and move forward?

Share it with us in the comments section. God bless you.

Emotional intelligence during the pandemic

by with No Comment Emotional IntelligenceSelf-awareness

So, the coronavirus pandemic has been a source of great stress for many people. emotional intelligence is key to keeping going. The fear and anxiety produced by this new disease is overwhelming and scary, and so is the ability this disease has to destroy families, from the poorest to the richest.

Much has been written about how to handle the crisis and how to improve our mental health. But today, more than ever, we need something more than the mere fact of practicing social distancing and using masks. We need to grow in our emotional intelligence. Being someone who behaves with high emotional intelligence has never been as important as it is in this unprecedented time.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, express, understand, and manage emotions. And, it is important, since the more we understand these aspects about ourselves, the better our spiritual and mental health, and social development will be during the pandemic.

Let me ask you today, are the decisions you make as a parent, spouse, son or daughter, employee or leader, generated by fear or despair, or by a person who has emotional intelligence? The way you answer this question will determine where you are going to be at the end of this pandemic.

Many studies by several universities from around the world have shown that a person’s success in many levels of life, such as intrapersonal, interpersonal, and, social, is determined by the level of emotional intelligence that person has. These studies reveal that 80 percent of a person’s success is determined by emotional intelligence and only 20 percent is determined by rational intelligence or his/her intelligence quotient.

What is the origin of the term emotional intelligence?

Many people attribute the concept of Emotional Intelligence to Daniel Goleman, but actually, this concept had been already elaborated on by other authors before Goleman made it popular in his book Emotional Intelligence in 1995.

It is believed that the first person to develop this line of thought about emotional intelligence was Edward L. Thorndike in 1920. Back then, he used the term social intelligence to describe the ability to understand or motivate other people.

In 1940, David WeshslerWechsler described the influence that human behavioral factors that were not determined by intellect had, and he made it clear that intelligence tests would not be complete until the factors influencing human beings that were beyond intellect and people’s relationships could be properly described.

Howard Gardner and its tribute to emotional intelligence

Unfortunately, these authors’ works went unnoticed for many years, until 1983, when Howard Gardner, in his book Multiple Intelligences: the practical theory, introduced the idea that intelligence indicators, such as intelligence quotient, do not fully explain cognitive ability, since they do not consider “interpersonal intelligence” (the ability to understand intentions, motivations, or other people’s desires), nor the “intrapersonal intelligence” (the ability to understand oneself, appreciate feelings, fears, and self-motivations).

The first use of the term emotional intelligence is generally attributed to Wayne Payne in his doctoral thesis: “A study about emotions: the development of emotional intelligence” (1985). However, this expression had already appeared before in texts written by Beldoch (1964) and Leuner (1966). Stanley Greenspan also proposed an emotional intelligence model in 1989, as well as Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer. But, of all these authors, the one who popularized the concept was Daniel Goleman in his above-mentioned book.

Now, let us leave this concept’s historical background behind. LetsLet’s talk about the importance to have high emotional intelligence in the midst of amid the pandemic.

According to Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence entails five practical skills that must developed by someone who wants to grow in managing his/her emotions. Each of these 5 Practical Skills of Emotional Intelligence was also subdivided into different competencies. Let’s look at these abilities applied to the context of the pandemic.

1)Self-awareness 

This means acknowledging one’s state of mind, resources, and intuition. This skill is key while we navigate through this pandemic, since without self-awareness, we cannot understand the emotions we are experiencing amid the crisis, the resources we are counting on to face the crisis, and, we will not have the necessary intuition to t make wise decisions.

Emotional competencies that depend on self-awareness

The emotional competencies that depend on self-awareness are:

  • Emotional awareness: to identify our own emotions and the effects they may have on us and those around us. For example, the parent who does not have emotional awareness will not know how to identify the emotions his/her child is experiencing. In the end, he/she will not be able to teach his/her child how to manage emotions.
  • Self-evaluation: to know our own strengths and limitations. Every human being has strengths and limitations. Many times, we focusefocus on the limitations we have that we neglect the strengths that have led us to where we are now. In the pandemic, it is imperative to assess our strengths and limitations and focus our energy on depending on our strengths and let ourselves be influenced by others who can help us with our limitations.
  • Self-confidence: a strong feeling of self-worth and ability. The way you perceive and value yourself will allow you to navigate through troubled waters. If you do not trust yourself, no one will trust you either.

2) Self-regulation

the second skill relates to self-regulation. There may be no more essential psychological skill than the ability to resist an impulse. How many poor decisions have you made due to your lack of self-regulation? Unnecessary purchases, angry and bad moments that might have been avoided.

Besides, there are days in the midst of amid the crisis in which you get up with no motivation to do things, you want to stay in bed. But, self-regulation is what moves you to manage your state of mind and it pushes you to reach the goals you have set for that day.

The emotional competencies that depend on self-regulatio

– Self-control: to stay vigilant about disturbing emotions and impulses. There are toxic emotions we have to keep an eye on. Resisting the impulse to lose control is the basis for emotional self-control, since each emotion is a desire to act in the face of the problem and that desire is not always the right response.

– Trustworthiness: to keep adequate standards of honesty and integrity.

– Awareness: to take responsibility for our work performance. Many blame the economy or social distancing for their family crisis. Awareness helps you take responsibility for what you have to do when facing the crisis and stop blaming others for the things you do not have in your life.

– Adaptability: flexibility in managing changing situations. Everyone who has found a way to thrive during this pandemic has had to adapt themselves to changes. Adapting to Zoom meetings, to having to live with a family member that you use to seeing for only a few hours. Flexibility and adaptability are two elements that successful people have.

– Innovation: to be comfortable with new information, new ideas, and situations. While many companies have ended in bankruptcy, many others have grown in the middle of the crisis. What is the difference? The people in charge and the innovation competency. Ask yourself, how much innovation have you brought to your family in order to improve your emotional connection with your loved ones?

3) Motivation

It refers to the emotional tendencies that guide or facilitate meeting established goals.

  • Impulse of achievement: the effort to improve or reach a standard of excellency in your family.
  • Commitment: Developing a commitment to your family’s goals.
  • Initiative: the availability to react to opportunities. Opportunities cannot be wasted. Your motivation will lead you to be aware of initiatives that might change your life or your family’s.
  • Optimism: the persistence in chasing the goals despite obstacles and setbacks. This pandemic may have affected your family in several ways, but your optimism is what will allow you to rise from the ruins of despair and to continue towards the goals you have set for yourself.

4) Empathy

It is the other ability that will take you down a path to hope in the middle of the crisis. There are so many people who are in need around you right now, people who are looking for someone who can feel empathy for them. Empathy means being aware of other people’s feelings, needs, and concerns. It does not mean that the other person must think like us, but understand the way other people think and respect it. If we do the opposite, it could lead us to be self-centered.

Emotional competences that depend on empathy

Thus, the emotional competences that depend on empathy are:

  • Understanding other people: to understand the feelings and perspectives of the family members. Maybe your children are exhausted from having online classes. A smart parent understands his/her children and will take advantage of this opportunity to teach them how to manage their emotions.
  • To help others to blossom: being aware of the developmental needs of others and helping them strengthen their skills. In marriage and family therapy, we emphasize this aspect. We talk about discovering the needs the children and spouses have so we can help them grow. In the end, we all need the person we have beside us in order to survive.
  • Orientation service: to anticipate, acknowledge, and satisfy your family’s real needs.
  • Enhancing diversity: to cultivate opportunities to bring diversity to your family. Not everyone has to be like you. Accept diversity of opinions and ideas, and you will have a healthy family. 
  • Political awareness: to be able to read your family’s emotional currents and the power of the relationships they have among them.

5) Social skills

The last skill relates to the social field. It means being an expert in providing the desired answers to other family members. This goal depends on the following emotional skills:

  • Influence: to come up with effective persuasion tactics. 
  • Communication: to know how to listen openly to others and to provide convincing messages.
  • Conflict management: to know how to negotiate and solve disagreements within your marital and family relationships.
  • Leadership: the ability to inspire and guide your family members.
  • A catalyst for change: being a starter or administrator of new situations.
  • A bond builder: to nurture and strengthen interpersonal relationships among family members.
  • Collaboration and cooperation: to work with other family members in order to achieve shared goals.
  • Team abilities: to be able to create synergy in the pursuit of collective goals in your family.

How have you put emotional intelligence into practice in the midst of the pandemic? Maybe you feel disappointed with yourself because you have not managed your emotions well. But remember, it is never too late to start.

Start today by developing each one of these skills so you can manage stress and distress in the midst of the pandemic. Remember that a fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back (Pro. 29:11).

Emotions in the midst of the pandemic crisis

by with One Comment Emotional IntelligenceSpiritual growth
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Gospel of Mark in chapter 4: 35-40 presents a story similar to the one we are all experiencing today. The verse begins telling the story in this way, “That day, when the night came.” Night comes to all of us at some point in life. That night comes after a day when peace and tranquility clear all worries that would later change in our world. No doubt that the night has come into our lives.

How did the night come to your life? The night may have come in the form of a crisis. There are different types of crisis. Situational crisis or developmental crisis. Situational crises are problems and conflicts that come to life in unexpected ways. Developmental crises are crises that we experience as a result of emotional development, family, or personal cycles that we are experiencing through the different stages of our life.

Now, the story takes a very attractive color because even though the night came for Jesus and His disciples, Jesus invites them to go to the other shore of the lake. There are things that Jesus does that do not make sense to the human being. Every time Jesus does something that doesn’t make sense, it’s because he wants to teach us a lesson. The journey on the Lake of Galilee was very uncertain due to many conditions.

The position of the lake could raise storms in unexpected ways. They did not have the navigation instruments that exist today. Their experience as fishermen made the difference. But despite the disadvantages that they had before the night that had come into their lives, Jesus invites them to “go to the other shore of the lake.”

Show faith in times of crisis

Despite the pandemic that has come on the cold night of our lives, Jesus invites us to go to the other shore. This expression, “going to the other shore” is closely connected with the experience of the people of Israel when they were also challenged to “go to the other shore” on their journey to the earthly Canaan. Today, in our journey towards the Heavenly Canaan, God invites us to go to the other shore. The shore of liberation, final victory. The shore of the Heavenly Canaan.

It is interesting to note that despite the beautiful invitation that Jesus makes to his disciples to go to the other shore, the storm arrives. And you have the right to wonder if I am obeying the command of Jesus to go to the other shore. How is it possible for a storm to rise on Jesus’ command? And not only that, with Jesus walking at our side. These questions are very valid.

How to show faith

The truth is that accepting the invitation to be a disciple of Jesus and moving to the other shore does not make us immune to experiencing storms on our journey.

Furthermore, Jesus tells us that it is normal for storms to come into our lives as we travel through the troubled waters to the other shore. “In the world, you will have afflictions,” says Jesus. And isn’t that what we are experiencing today? We are distressed by the storm that has risen in our lives and threatens to destroy us.

This storm has come in the form of COVID-19, a deadly virus that has destroyed cities, systems, and today threatens to sink our lives. A virus that has the most powerful country in the world paralyzed without knowing how to behave in the face of the crisis. We have never experienced a crisis like this one. And the problem is not simply the storm, but the uncertainty that the coronavirus brings.

The coronavirus crisis

Now, how can we live in the midst of the coronavirus storm? If we go to the biblical text, we see the two attitudes that we can take. We see the disciples anxious and desperate because they are afraid that they will lose their lives. And on the other hand, we see Jesus sleeping in the middle of the storm. How is it possible that you can have two such different reactions in the midst of this experience?

It all lies in the way you interpret the storm or crisis that comes into your life. Your thoughts define how you are going to interpret your reality, your crisis. And if we dig a little deeper into this concept, we will find that our thoughts define our emotions and behaviors. Epictetus said: “We are altered not by events, but by the way we interpret events.” In other words, the way I interpret the storm that I am experiencing is going to influence how I am going to feel and how I am going to behave before it.

Let’s go back to the boat, where Jesus and his disciples are facing the storm that came to them in their dark night. In the midst of the storm, the thoughts that the disciples have been thoughts of danger, uncertainty, threat, and death. Those thoughts produce emotions that are not difficult to decipher. Emotions such as fear and anguish at the threat of the storm. And that is why they behave anxiously and try to find solutions to the problem on their own, apart from Jesus.

How did Jesus face the crisis?

Now, let’s analyze the reaction of Jesus, who is in the same boat and experiences the same storm that the disciples are experiencing. What are Jesus’ thoughts about the storm? “My Heavenly Father is in control of my life. I have nothing to fear. “Those thoughts produced emotions of serenity, peace and security. And his behavior was obvious then, in the middle of the storm, Jesus was sleeping.”

Tell me, who can sleep in the middle of the storm? So what can we say made the difference between the disciples’ emotions and behavior and the fact that Jesus was sleeping? The difference was not made by the storm because both groups experienced the same storm. The difference was in the way they interpreted the storm. The disciples interpreted it as a threat to their lives. And Jesus interpreted it as an opportunity to trust more in his Heavenly Father, who cared for His life.

I ask you, in the midst of the night that has come to your being, how do you interpret the COVID-19 storm? Because the thoughts you have about this phenomenon will make the difference between whether you will be anxious and desperate or in peace and tranquility as Jesus was in His storm.

Five step to face the crisis

I want to leave you with five tips. These tips are in the way Paul decided to interpret the storms that came on his dark nights. He says in Philippians 4: 8: “For the rest, brethren, all that is true, all that is honest, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is kind, all that is of good name; if there is any virtue, if something worthy of praise, think of this.”

Label the emotion.

The emotion you are experiencing, such as sadness, anguish, pain, give it a name.

Identify the thoughts that lead you to experience those negative or positive emotions

Ask yourself, do you think about what is honest, fair, pure, kind, or of good name? You cannot change until you are aware of the toxic thought that is leading you to experience the emotion and behavior that you have.

Focus on changing your thoughts

In other words, change your thinking because your thoughts are what define your emotions. Instead of thinking about the lies that Satan has led you to think about, think about the eternal truths we have in God’s promises. First, analyze what the storm, crisis, or problem is that leads you to experience the thought you have in your mind.

Understand that you can never change the storms or crises that come to your life. You can only change the ways you interpret those experiences so that you can experience different emotions. Your biggest problem lies in wanting to control what only God can control. That is the source of the greatest stress you experience in your life.

Thank God for what He has given you

Instead of complaining about what you have lost in the midst of the storm, decide to trust what you have. Make a list of all the things that God has given you. You will discover that you always have more things to be thankful for compared to things you think you don’t have.

Cast all your anxiety on God because He cares for you

The end of the story about the storm you experience today will be defined by how you decide to interpret your storm. The disciples thought of death and pain. Jesus thought of peace and security because His Father was at His side. In the end, Jesus rises and calms the storm. Today, you can get up like Jesus and calm the storm because your God is at your side as a powerful giant and nothing can harm you without His permission.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Living in times of the deadly coronavirus pandemic

by with No Comment Emotional IntelligenceSpiritual growth

Night has come into our lives with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic. Our whole world has changed. Empty streets, supermarkets without essential products. Graduations canceled were, and schools closed. Churches have closed their doors and moved to a digital service. A call for isolation has been made by government authority.

There are rumors in many states of activating the National Guard. In my 50 years of life, I have never experienced a crisis like the one we are experiencing today. What does tomorrow have in store for us? Will the dawn return before the darkness continues to overwhelm our being?

In the face of so much gloom, our natural reaction is to activate our brain’s defense system against fear and the prevailing insecurity. Anxiety (a feeling of concern or uneasiness), fear, uncertainty, anger, and sadness are common feelings that we sometimes experience when facing a crisis. They are normal responses to the crisis and stresses we are experiencing.

Questions we must ask ourselves are, how does the Christian live in a crisis that threatens our existence? How do we survive this threat of annihilation by such a devastating virus? How will the human story end? In this article, we are going to discover by the grace of God how to live in the coronavirus pandemic.

God is in control in the coronavirus pandemic

The secret to surviving the threat of the coronavirus is to recognize that God is in control. How can I recognize that God is in control when pain and suffering overwhelm my being? If God is in control, why doesn’t He do something to quell the fury of the coronavirus pandemic? It just seems that God has turned His back on this problem. These could be some of the questions that you may have in your hearts.

There are two attitudes you can take when you have problems: The first is to recognize that God is in control and praise God saying: “God, I do not understand what is happening, I have lost everything, I see everything dark in my life, but despite these adverse circumstances that the coronavirus has brought, I know that you know what to do, and you are in control.”

Avoid a bad attitude in front of the coronavirus pandemic

The second attitude you can take is to pull your hair out by developing a toxic spirit. When you opt for this negative attitude, you are simply saying to God: “You don’t know how to manage my life” and you begin to walk down a path that cements a destiny of failures and mental illness. The Bible states: “For God is the king of all the earth …” Ps. 47: 7. Thus, we see that God is the Sovereign King of the entire earth, everything that happens is allowed by the King. He is still the God of the Universe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

God is not the originator of the coronavirus pandemic, God is not the originator of death, or o the pain, you may be experiencing right now. You must understand the context of the world in which you live. You live in a world of sinfulness.

The origin of the evil

Our first parents had the opportunity to live happily ever after, but they decided to throw away all the good that God had given them for their well-being by simply eating the forbidden fruit. We know the rest of the story, Adam and Eve disobeyed and sin entered this world and therefore eternal death. Today we are reaping the neglect of our first parents.

Many people have argued the following, why didn’t God intervene when Eve was going to take the forbidden fruit? God had the power to intervene, but He has given us free will. He does not want us to serve him out of fear, but out of love, that is why He gives us the freedom to choose what we want for our life. Today we experience pain, death, and anguish because that was the choice of our first parents. It was not God’s choice.

The plan B

The good news in all this tragedy is that even though human beings disobeyed. God had a plan B, the plan of salvation, already drawn up before man came into existence.  God was in control as the King of the Universe, and the last word is God. There is sin, death, pain, and the coronavirus in our world, but God plans to put an end to all this odyssey and take us back to the heavenly home.

The problems that overwhelm us today come from three sources. The first is the sin of a world that is mortally wounded. The second is the sinful actions of people who are by our side. Third, the sin that lives in us leads us to make mistakes and commit sinful acts.

God is in control and has the last word against sin in this world. He tells us: there is pain, death, and misery, but I will give you eternal life. Are there people who have committed sinful actions against you? Have your rights been violated? Have you been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused? Or, have you been abused, slandered, or hurt? God can take all those destructive actions and change them into an eternal blessing for your life.

The case of Joseph and his brothers

They took Joseph, threw him in a cistern, sold him as a slave, falsely accused him, and he ended up in prison. From all that crisis, God took him out to become the second-largest empire in the world at that time. God used everything negative that had happened in his life for his growth and emotional well-being, training him to be used powerfully in His cause and leading him to transcend his limits. God can also take everything negative that has happened to you and use it powerfully to transform your life into a stepping stone for His kingdom.

The case of Job

Many believe that Satan is the one who is in charge of this world, especially now that we are threatened by the coronavirus. Satan is not in charge. God is above Satan, and he has to ask God for permission to touch your life with the coronavirus. You remember the story of Job. God said to Satan, “You have seen my servant Job, fearful and set apart from evil.” And Satan said to him, “Yes, he serves you because you have a protective fence around him.

Let me touch it, and you will see how it curses you.” God allowed it. Satan destroyed everything that Job had, destroyed his health, his reputation. But Job loved God so much that he never stopped recognizing that God was in control and his pain said: “Naked I came, naked I will return to my mother’s womb, may the name of Jehovah be blessed” Job 1:21.

God has a protective fence around his children. The coronavirus will not be able to touch your home unless God allows it, as it did in the case of Job. Therefore, instead of fainting in the face of the disorders that the coronavirus is causing, get up and trust God, who is in control of your life.

The coronavirus pandemic

Romans 8:28 says the following:”And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, that is, those who are called according to his purpose”.

God has a perfect plan for your life. Perhaps we look at the circumstances that surround us in the face of the coronavirus, and we think that we will remain immobile forever in a place of darkness and pain. The more we ask and cry out to God for help, then the more the depressing circumstances of this crisis seem to be piling up. 

However, there is good news for your soul. Nothing can harm a Christian unless our Lord allows it. And everything that is allowed helps those who love God. If God allows sufferings and perplexities to overtake us, it is not to destroy us, but to refine and sanctify us.

The difficulties and disappointments of this life make us lose our attachment to this world and compel us to look at heaven as our home. They teach us the truth about our fragile and perishable condition and make us depend on God for support and salvation. They also develop a more humble and submissive spirit in us, a more patient and tender disposition.

It has been experienced by the children of God throughout history. And at the end of their lives, they have been able to say that they were afflicted for their good. This truth is reflected in the life of Joseph. Before he died, Joseph said to his brothers: “You thought evil against me, but God directed it to good” (Gen. 50:20). The coronavirus may bring calamity and death to your life, but God will one day take care of transforming pain into eternal blessing.

Trust God during coronavirus pandemic

I challenge you that instead of pulling your hair out of fear of the coronavirus pandemic, you begin to trust God. A God who is in control of your life. A God who will not allow even a hair on your head to fall without His consent. I cannot explain how God works his miracles. If I could understand and explain my God, He would not be my God. What I can explain is that no matter what damage the coronavirus may bring, the last word will not be with this evil virus.

The last word will be heard from the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He who has the keys of Hades and says to you:

“To the one who overcomes, I will give him/her to sit with me on my throne”. Your destiny is with the God of the Universe. Get up from your ashes of fear and anxiety because your final victory has already been won on the Cross of Calvary.