This week as I prepared for worship and wrote the sermon for the week I began to reflect upon the months of deployment and the tasks remaining for our reunion with family and friends. This deployment is certainly different from any other I have experienced largely because of the restrictions and uncertainty due to the global pandemic. Whether you are deployed or domestic you have experienced a change in pattern of life.
Psychologists and Sociologists have determined that it takes 21 days to start a new habit and 90 days for that habit to become a lifestyle. The state of Tennessee started the quarantine on March 16 and in so doing imposed changes which have since become habit and are well on their way to becoming lifestyle changes.
Some of these changes are welcomed. For example, one study in the United Kingdom found “four in five parents believe their families have formed an even stronger bond since parents and kids have more time together during the lockdown.[1]” Positive habits such as game night and family dinners have been rediscovered in many homes. Families relationships are strengthened and bonds are reformed.
Some of these changes are less fruitful. I recently saw a meme which said, “Day 29 of Quarantine…Netflix complete.” There is no question that people around the world have turned to television to pass the time. Last week Comcast published a report revealing household “are watching eight more hours of television a week since early March, from 57 hours a week to 66 hours a week.[2]” The negative effects of binge watching tv range from anxiety and depression to physical health issues like obesity and back problems associated with inactivity. In some cases, “binge watching can create a pseudo-addiction to the show.[3]”
With this in mind, I wonder how quarantine has affected our spiritual habits. At least one change is that we have brought Church home. Virtual worship services abound and this includes all faith backgrounds. The Army Chaplain Corps has promoted Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian spiritual opportunities. Social Media jokes that when churches begin to gather it will be hard to give up the pajamas for our “Sunday Best.”
As this trip continues and reunion is on the horizon, I want to issue a 21/90 challenge. We face a viral pandemic so I issue a “viral challenge” (pun intended); for the next 21 days challenge yourself to create a new habit to strengthen your relationship with your creator. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are encouraged to “seek him” with all of their heart. The Psalmist declares[4],
How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
The prophet Isaiah implores, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn”
Jesus says, ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.[5]”
There are at least three habits we can instill in our lives to seek God: 1. Read the Scriptures; 2. Pray; 3. Fellowship with Believers.
Accept the challenge to Read the Scriptures daily. There are many Apps and reading regiments that can assist you in this endeavor like the One Year Bible, the New Testament in 30 Days, and A Proverb a Day. These Apps often have reminders that can help you to be proactive and achieve your goal of seeking God throughout the scriptures.
You may want to accept the challenge to pray daily. The Apostle Paul tells the church to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.[6]” There is no doubt a lot for us to pray for in these times; consider keeping a prayer list and/or writing out your prayers in a journal.
Social distancing has definitely challenged our ability to fellowship with other believers but this does not need to be limited to Sunday. Maybe you would consider and accountability partner who can encourage you in your walk of faith. Technology provides a lot of ways to fellowship with other people of faith who can encourage as you seek to connect with God.
In conclusion, the global pandemic has changed the way we live life in many ways. Maybe you will consider taking the 21/90 challenge. I pray that one of the changes we experience is a closer relationship with God and a more spiritually resilient Army family.
[1] https://www.studyfinds.org/quarantine-quality-time-4-in-5-parents-say-coronavirus-lockdown-has-brought-family-closer-together/
[2] https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/coronavirus-television-viewership-habits
[3] https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/binge-watching
[4] Psalm 119:9-11
[5] Isaiah 51:1
[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
The Chaplain's Anvil 