Life after lockdown – Our relationship with God

Has your relationship with God been effected during isolation caused by Covid-19?

For some, life before Covid was pretty busy, and finding time to slow down to connect with God was a real struggle. While others, whether busy or not, had no problems making that time a priority. Either way this pandemic has presented Christians with an opportunity to reflect on how we have been relating to God.

But will we use this time wisely?

Because the danger is, that we would let this time pass, and miss an opportunity to make some significant changes that we may never have again in our lifetime.

This season of life has made me realize how little time i have given to private the worship of God. There was a time earlier in my christian life when it was a regular practice, and it was in that space that i feel like my faith got stronger and i learnt about the bigness of God, but life got busy and you know the rest of the story. But being forced to work from home has meant i have more time to stop, listen and engage with God through music in a way i haven’t done in years.

Back to my original question, has your relationship with God been effected? I wonder if you have been frustrated during this time because you have realized that even with extra time on your hands you feel no closer to God, or have been connecting with him even more?

What choices will we make now?

Sooner or later restrictions will be lifted and people will go back to a speed that isn’t sustainable long term, but what choices will the church make now to make sure our relationship with God is stronger after the dust of Covid-19 has settled?

One of the most important things the body of Christ can do right now has already been forced on us, and that is to slow down. The Church has been so busy for so long that for many of us, our relationship with God has been when we can fit him in. A 5 minute quiet time here, a quick prayer for help on the run there and most of all, an avoidance of silence and solitude where its just God and us and nothing else.

There is no bible verse at the center of this post, and no 3 point plan on how i think you can improve your relationship with God. My hope is that all Christians would use this time to connect with God in ways they haven’t had time to, and when restrictions have been lifted, that the body of Christ would as a whole be stronger than ever before.

A need to disconnect in order to reconnect.

I mentioned earlier how isolation has impacted my relationship with God, that worship has been something that i have neglected. But this time has also shown me how attached to my phone i am, and how the use of technology directly impacts my ability to not only worship God, but to find rest in God as well. I have started practicing disconnecting in order to reconnect, that is separating myself from technology at different times of the day and instead being very intentional with spending time with God through prayer, reading and talking about what i’m learning.

What about you, are there things that are getting in the way of your relationship with God right now? Are you needing to disconnect in order to reconnect so that your time with God will be stronger when restrictions are lifted?

Father God, we are thankful that your mercies are new each day and also extend to the different seasons of our lives. We are sorry that we are not always good stewards of the time that you give us, which lead to less time with you. Show us what you think gets in the way of our relationship with you, and help us to make better choices so we can know you more.