If uncertainty were a virus, more people would test positive for that one than for COVID-19.

Men & women all over the world are dying to know what the future holds, why we’re in this mess, and what to do to make it stop. With information changing by the hour, even Christians are left to question what God means by all of this: How are we supposed to be remain “on mission” with so many social restrictions? What will we do when “two or more” are no longer able to legally “gather”? How are we supposed to “seek and save the lost”? Through Snapchat?

God’s Purpose in a Pandemic:

The answer is simple: God is allowing the Church to suffer like she is because it’s a vital part of her beautification. It’s always been this way, and it’ll always be this way until the Lord returns. His goal from the very beginning has been to “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph.5:27). He’s removing the “spots & wrinkles” through a process He calls “sanctification”. He employs the use of trial & tribulation to enhance the Church. That’s what He’s doing right now. He’s making her prettier.

A Classic Technique:

Certain crises throughout the history of the Church are largely responsible for the way she looks today. From the very start, God’s people have been intermittently hit with sudden, unexpected emergencies that forced her to either adapt or die; to become beautiful, or to remain ugly. These were watershed moments; paradigm shifts. Undesirable at first, but vital for the overall strength & success of the Church. Situations that initially seemed to be disastrous, were actually being used by God to customize an attractive Bride for His Son.

A difficulty like this one is nothing new for the Church.

Beauty School:

In her infancy, for example, when Christ ascended into heaven, He left the Church behind to learn how to navigate life with a different “Helper” (Acts 1 & 2). As uncomfortable as it was, the change needed to be made. Had she not been forced to depend upon the Holy Spirit, the Church might still be trying to serve the Lord in the strength of her flesh. But she stayed true and learned to put her trust in the Spirit, all for the One she loves. How beautiful!   

Or how about when she was so severely attacked that her people were “scattered throughout the regions” (Acts 8:1)? Had the Lord not exposed her to persecution, the Church might have been stopped dead in her tracks, going no further than the city limits of Jerusalem. But, she remained faithful and learned to adapt herself to a different routine, all for the One she loves. That’s beautiful!   

And then there was the time when the Church realized that Gentiles were every bit the object of God’s love as the Jews were (Acts 10:28). A hard pill for a Hebrew to swallow, but had the Lord not forced the issue, many of us would still be in the dark, to this very day. Difficulty came upon the Church, but she faithfully rose to the occasion, and she’s never looked the same since. She’s beautiful!

Another Treatment:

In classic form, the Lord has introduced the modern Church to another sudden & unexpected emergency. In only a few short months every area of life & living has become governed by COVID-19. Our physical, social, emotional, financial, vocational, educational, and even our spiritual purviews have all been brought under its domain. We are, and will be, forced to make decisions that will affect the trajectory of the Church for generations to come. Worship, service, and fellowship have already begun to look different for us. Will we adapt, or will we die?

The Help We Need:

It’s true that we didn’t ask for this. But God saw that we needed it. Sometimes, the only way to move forward, is to go through a wall of fire. But when the fire is lit by God Himself, we know that He doesn’t plan to kill us with it, but to purify us through it. What’s happening today is no accident. The Lord brings a crisis upon His Church whenever He sees that the Church needs a crisis. We might not like what He’s doing, but it’ll be hard to argue against His decision once you see the outcome. The discipline of God can look and feel extreme, but the results are no less stunning.

Pretty Already:

But maybe you think you’re pretty enough as it is. Perhaps you don’t feel it necessary to make changes or adapt yourself to the Lord’s ideal because you assume that you’re already there. The truth is, when a person sees themselves as naturally irresistible, they inevitably reject God’s attempt to sanctify them any further. People like that can’t see a need for God’s help at all. They don’t think they need to be made appealing, because they believe that they already are.

Adapt or die…

Experts are saying that the world will never be the same again after this, and I suppose they’re right. I hope you won’t be either. Without compromising any of our core beliefs, I hope the Christians of our generation will allow the Lord to make the changes He wants to make. The Church will be more beautiful if we do. Especially in our knowledge of Christ, and our role in this world. I hope that each of us, as individuals, will embrace our plight and remain true to the Lord. We won’t be getting any prettier unless we do.

A Better Bride:

If you want to become the person God’s designed you to be, now’s the time. It’s important for us to understand that our current situation was orchestrated with that in mind. This is one of God’s sovereign purposes for the Coronavirus. There is nothing like a global pandemic to reveal the true heart of the people in a church. When all of this is said and done, the Church will either be more attractive than ever, or no better than we were before.

Sometimes, the only way to move forward, is to go through a wall of fire

God wants us all to learn and to grow through the crisis He’s provided. Our main interest during this pandemic shouldn’t be so much in keeping our hands clean, as it should be in remaining faithful. We need His help in becoming a different Church, a better Church, and these are the circumstances He’s provided through which that can happen.

Serve the Lord, remain faithful, and I can guarantee you, the Church will never look the same again.

How far are you willing to go to let yourself become more attractive to Jesus?