Is God Trying To Tell Us Something?

So....we are still in the middle of this pandemic. If you are like me, you probably have given up on trying to figure out when all this will be over and when we will finally be able to go back to last year's normal activities. Whether things get worse, stay the same, or potentially get a little better, one thing remains the same--God has a purpose for it all.

Wearing these masks on a daily basis is abnormal. Having to clean like no tomorrow with limited cleaning supplies is daunting. And not being about to hug and embrace our loved ones is frustrating as we continue to social distance. I am not completely clear of God's purpose in all of this, but here are some things that have crossed my mind:

We Wear The Masks

"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." --1 Samuel 16:7

These masks are stuffy and hinder a clear flow of air. We can buy pretty ones that match our outfits, or we can wear the blue, medical ones that just do the job. But we are all so tired of wearing these small pieces of face coverings, even if they are meant to protect us.

I wonder if God is tired of us wearing spiritual masks? Wearing a spiritual mask can be surmised as one who is a hypocrite (two-faced), or one who is afraid to show who they really are because they have not fully embraced the fact that God no longer condemns them for their past. In other words, such individuals put on a mask in order to portray a certain image. Over the years, parading through life as if it were a masquerade can be too much to bear. Such a person wants to be who they really are in front of others, but the "need" to keep up appearances and cover up takes over on a daily basis. This mask can be cute or even beautiful and look just right, but it is still a mask.

The Lord has the ability to look past the covering that people put on in order to see the real person. He looks past the appearance and looks at a person's heart. A spiritual mask-wearer may fool some people some of the time, but they will never be able to fool God at any time. Possibly He is allowing us to experience what it feels like to flaunt the fake. People may decide to wear a mask in order to protect their feelings or their lifestyle, but who they really are will constantly fight for its rightful gasp of fresh air. When there is no one around, the mask will often come off until it is no longer 'safe' to do so. But the battle to keep up this facade will eventually slow down even the best mask-wearer.

This may not apply to everyone, but if you are tired of grabbing this extra accessory every time you have to face the public (real or spiritual), just remember that God wants you to be the person that He created you to be--the imitation version of you just won't do.

Clean Up Your Act

"First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean."

--Matthew 23:26

First off, if anyone knows where I can find some disinfectant spray please let me know as soon as possible...just saying. Cleaning supplies is hard to find, and the few items that are left have prices that have inflated more than a helium balloon. On the flip side, I have never seen so many sanitizing stations in my life as we have to sanitize to keep our sanity. And if we were in a competition with window shield wipers, we would undoubtedly win with all the wiping down that we have been doing. Only the mean don't clean, and only those that neglect don't disinfect.

But how is your spiritual cleaning coming along? Could it be that God wants us to see this in a spiritual way as well? The need to clean has always been apparent, and there was a time before when we could choose any cleaning products that our souls desired. But that is not the case right now. Oftentimes, the Lord has been sending the message to clean up our lives over and over again. He has also generously provided various means to do the cleaning, such as His Word, but it doesn't always seem like a priority until things become desperate. Many do the easy thing by making great efforts to keep the parts of ourselves that everyone sees squeaky clean. This actually falls right in step with the mask-wearers that I mentioned before. As long as everything seems "spotless" to the average person, some people will opt as this being sufficient and will never do the "deep cleaning" that is necessary to really please the Savior.

Ultimately, God is the only One who can make us clean, but we play a vital role in the process. If cleaning has been become your new favorite pastime--right up there with eating, shopping online, and buying new masks--remember that you will never be able to clean properly with the product still in the container. And you will never be able to do some serious soul-cleaning with your bible closed. The opportunity to do better is not enough. You need to clean it like you mean it, and read (God's Word) and take heed.

Come A Little Closer

"See, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save, and His ear is not closed that it cannot hear. But your wrong-doings have kept you away from your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." --Isaiah 59:1-2

Six feet here. Six feet there. We must stay six feet away everywhere. No, this is not a line from a new Dr. Seuss book, but as y'all know we have to keep our distance from everyone as much as we can. There are signs that indicate this no matter where we go, and we are encouraged not to shake hands, hug, and the like. A simple elbow bump or air hug is more acceptable until further notice.

Believe or not, God knows what it feels like for someone to keep the distance. When we live a life of sin, that automatically blocks the possibility of clear communication with the Lord. It's like oil and water--sin and the Holy Father don't mix. When this happens, we are experiencing social distancing with the Lover of our souls in a sense. God is everywhere and cannot be moved, but the "signs" that tell Him to keep His distance are posted on ours hearts when we sin. Prayers are blocked, and the flow of the relationship becomes more like a long distance call with an unstable connection. It's not on God that the relationship is no longer what it once was since He does not have the ability to sin. It is on us when the stay-your-distance indicators start flashing, and they can only arrive in the vehicle of sin.

I can only imagine what we will do first once we are able to gather in large groups again, but in the meantime be sure that your relationship with Christ is as close-knit as it can be. Things feeling a little distant? Address the sin within and see won't the connection be ever so clear again.

Have any thoughts on what God is trying to tell us during this interesting time in the world? Please share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.