Written by Bridge Church Elder Chairman Dr. Dave Norbeck
I read a recent study by the American Bible Society that said during the COVID pandemic (January to June), those who engaged in meaningful Bible reading was down by 13 million people in the United States. Daily Bible reading dropped from 14% of the population to 9%. I found this surprising as I would have thought it would have gone up during this crisis. The authors speculated that it may be due to kids being home and moms and dads more occupied with their care. But I worry about a fatigue factor in our faith. Are we getting tired and worn down by all the evil in the world? I don’t know about you, but I have found myself much more prone to crabbiness. I don’t want to be crabby, but I am. I looked but didn’t find that in the list of the fruits of the Spirit! I think it arrived Fed Ex from a place further south, but I suppose I can’t blame him for all my problems and I have to own my own stuff.
Personally, I have found that it is easy to be discouraged with all the unknowns and our normal world turned upside down. All the things that we would normally do to distract us and relieve stress are harder or sometimes impossible to do. I always found Church to be a weekly oasis where my spiritual battery was charged and I was made ready for another week in the world. It’s been harder trying to do that online. The feeling of community gathering before God for worship and spiritual edification just isn’t the same without my brothers and sisters around me. There is something about physical presence. Zoom has been a wonderful tool, but its just not the same as breaking bread together with my dear friends in my gather group. I miss their presence. God with us becomes so important when we don’t have each others presence in our lives. It seems this pandemic will be lingering on and it looks like we may be in this trial for a while. So what do we do? How do we obtain God with us?
Well, this is nothing new to the Church. Trials and pandemics and plagues have dogged us for millennia. The Church has survived and even flourished in spite of it. In a word, it has persevered.
And so must we. But what is perseverance? Webster’s describes it as a continued effort to achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition. It is being steadfast. But I find it’s hard to be steadfast. There is a gumption to the word perseverance, like you do it with gritted teeth.
Paul tells us in Romans 5 that suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character and that gives us hope. We have hope because Christ’s Spirit is being formed in us and that reminds us of how close we are to eternity with God. In 2 Thessalonians 1 he says that if we persevere, we will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God. The writer of Hebrews states so eloquently in chapter 12, verse 1 that we are to run the race set before us with perseverance, avoiding sin. How do we do that? He gives us the answer: by fixing our eyes on Jesus, who began the work in us and will see it to completion, no matter what is going on around us. James tells us in chapter 1:3-4 that our faith produces the perseverance we need to see this life through no matter what evil befalls us. This perseverance produces maturity which will make us much like Christ. We are to let perseverance finish this work in us. That sounds very passive doesn’t it? But it means that the Holy Spirt gives it to us. In chapter 5 James says that we will be blessed as we persevere because God is full of compassion and mercy.
Lately I have been feeling ineffective and unproductive in my walk with God. In Peter’s second epistle, chapter 1, he gives me an answer: persevere in your faith and let the fruit of the Spirit increase in godliness, self- control, knowledge of Christ, goodness, and love for others. So, is this persevering something I do or the Holy Spirit does in me? The answer is yes. As they say, show up, suit up, and let God do the rest. Or as I told my small group, let us keep on keeping on. Keep seeking God in His Word, in prayer and in as much community as COVID allows. God is still with us in Christ Jesus, and He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He also will empower us to stay the course.
So my Bridge brothers and sisters, may the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance! See you on the other side.
Dr. Dave Norbeck
