Pandemic: Life Lessons

The global pandemic has created an unprecedented economic crisis globally. It affects the people in India including the saints. Indirectly, it also affected my official responsibility. During this crisis, many companies and businesses were deeply affected. Many have not been paid for two months as there were no business activities. Many lost jobs or salaries cut drastically. In this critical time, how do I carry out my official responsibility?

I brought my official decision making before the Lord in prayer. The more I prayed about how I should go about, the Lord reminded me that none of the serving one's support should be reduced. Though some could not serve due to lockdown, as much as the Lord provided, the serving ones should all be taken care in time and without any reduction of support even if we could not make good sales due to the pandemic and even if some servings ones could not serve due to the same reason. 

In fact, I and the coordinating brothers had planned to support the saints with increment. I deeply felt that the increment be withheld for now, but all should be supported without any delay or deduction. In making this decision I fellowshipped with the brothers I am coordinating with, presenting them the reasons for this decision. The decision actually was the feeling the Lord gave me when I took the matter to prayer. All the brothers had no objection to it.

Personally, I was considering and praying about three serving ones as I felt their support needed to be adjusted as they could not serve nor do any productive work during the past two months. I had some good reasons to justify my thought. But as I prayed over it, the Lord confirmed to me that I need not cut their support at all. Instead, I should shepherd them during this critical time by still supporting them fully. Therefore, I obeyed the Lord's speaking within.

In a similar manner, the supply of the ministry books to all the churches in India in the form of an electronic file due to lockdown has been brought to my notice which I took to the Lord in prayer. The Lord gave me a clear direction in balancing the timely supply of spiritual food to all the saints and doing the same in a timely and proper way. Prayer and fellowship were going on with the concerned brothers. It was a wonderful experience of coordination, blending, and building among the brothers, and also looking to the Lord for His leading during these dark hours. 

This pandemic though it is a pandemic, has taught me many spiritual lessons, especially for my official service. I may not be wrong if I reckon this pandemic as a blessing in disguise.

Praise the Lord for the lesson learned in times of pandemic!