The Corona Survival Guide For ParentsSample

Remember you are not God

I used to be a pretty productive pastor.

As a creature of habit, I had nearly mastered a routine of working hard at church, spending quality (and quantity) time with my wife and daughters, and prioritizing time to keep my soul and body healthy.

Notice I began with the words used to. Because the coronavirus infected my routine and left it gasping for breath.

Can you relate? 

As humans, our brains love what’s predicable. We don’t have to use up our limited brainpower when we know precisely what to do and when to do it, which is why we all have our own routines. Wake up the kids—check. Drop them off at school while eating breakfast in the car—check. Do work at home or the office—check. Pick up kids—check. Family time—check.

These days, however, our routines are on life support and our brains are exhausted. We seem to accomplish 50% as much and feel 150% as overwhelmed.

This is why I want to offer you my second encouragement—Remember that you are not God.

This passage wasn’t written about you: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). Since you’re not God, you need to sleep. You need to eat. You need to move. Your brain can’t function 24/7, at least not for very long. You have limits. Your brain can’t process constant decisions without turning as mushy as morning oatmeal. Smart Christians accept and embrace those limits.

What exactly am I suggesting? That you honestly evaluate what you can’t do during this season of life. You might have pulled it off before, and you might be able to pull it off in the future, but now is not the time. The same hours at work, the same quality of cooking, the same speedy replies to email, the same attention to your appearance, the same commitment to your social media, the same ___________.

Because of corona, life is not the same. It’s okay to admit that. So decide right now—What will you stop doing? What, for the near future, needs to change so that you don’t burn out your brain? Take a moment to write your answer down. Share it with those who need to know. Ask for prayers to stick to it without feeling guilty for not being God.

Drop the Messiah complex. God can bless people, your kids and coworkers included, without your old routines (or without you entirely!). Celebrate that fact, and entrust those blessings to his perfect care.

Babies can’t high jump. New moms can’t do sit-ups after C-sections. And you might not be able to do what you did before. In time, perhaps, but not yet.

That’s okay. You’re not God. Thankfully, God still is.