Don't Waste Your Quarantine | April 15

Humans need purpose. Quite literally, without it we die. A number of years ago the staff at a nursing home conducted an experiment to answer the question, What would happen if we brought pets into the facility and gave the residents the responsibility to take care of them? What they noticed in the residents was an increase in energy, health, and even overall life expectancy because of a new found sense of purpose. 

One of the hardest things about being in quarantine over the past couple weeks can be a feeling of purposelessness. We are not able to carry out jobs, relationships, and goals as we normally might. This leaves many of us thinking, “I can’t wait for this to be over so I can get back to something meaningful.” I know I’ve been tempted to think that. Since we can’t carry out our purpose as we normally do, we are left with entertainment, eating, and overall slothfulness to get us through until it’s all over. 

But what if God saw our quarantine differently? What if this wasn’t just wasted time but a time he intentionally used in and through our lives? 

Did you know that times of isolation and social quarantine have actually been somewhat normal for God’s people? Further still, these times were used with such intense purpose by God that the history of the church and world were changed as a result. 

On April 11, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was “isolated” in a Birmingham jail for carrying out a protest in spite of a court injunction prohibiting him to do so. Instead of “just getting through it,” Dr. King used that time to write what was later referred to as “the most eloquent and learned expression of the goals of the nonviolent movement ever written.”

In May of 1521, the original Martin Luther (after whom Dr. King was named) was confined to one room in a castle in Wartburg, Germany, while hiding for his life from Roman authorities. During that time, Luther translated the New Testament from Greek to German, making the Bible accessible for ordinary German believers for the very first time. 

While John was isolated on the island of Patmos, he wrote the book of Revelation. 

While Paul was isolated in a Roman prison, he wrote at least 7 of his letters. 

While Jesus was isolated in the wilderness, he succeeded in ways the first Adam failed in fending off Satan. 

Isolation for God’s people has been happening for thousands of years, and it never happens without purpose. God has used some of these painful times alone to accomplish works that have changed the course of human history. 

Could God use your current time in isolation to change the world? Maybe. 

Could God use your current time in isolation at all? Definitely. And that’s all that really matters. 

God doesn’t want us to just make it through this time to get back to real life. This is our real life, and he has work to do in and through us while we wait to get back to normal. 

Over the coming weeks we are going to be reflecting on how God can use this time of isolation. We are titling this series “Don't Waste Your Quarantine,” and we will be looking at some specific ways God can infuse your time alone with meaning and purpose for your life and the lives of others. We are not talking about flooding your day with busyness and giving you a list of 15 things you need to do during quarantine. We are talking about inviting God to use this unique season in your life as he has for so many during times of isolation. 

At the outset, can I invite you to pray? Having recognized that this time isn’t meaningless, invite God to show you how he wants to use you during this time. Have you been filling your extra time with excessive entertainment and laziness? Rest is good, but there is still kingdom work to be done. Acknowledge to the Lord where you have been off track and invite him to use the coming days in quarantine, however long they last, in any way he pleases.