You’re probably like me in that you don’t like feeling powerless and out of control. I still remember quite vividly a time when I was driving on the turnpike several years ago. My car hydroplaned at 65 miles an hour, drifted across the interstate lanes, and began a slow spin towards the guard rail. I was sure I was going to die right there and for a moment I took my hands from the wheel and covered my head, bracing for impact. By some miracle though God spun the car all the way around before impact and I was able to regain control and stop the car on the side of the road. I think I drove 35 mph the rest of the way!
I’ve been thinking about those terrifying moments of powerlessness on the road in the context of our theme for this school year “No Fear” based on Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” In this time of pandemic do you sometimes feel powerless in the face of this virus? Lives have been severely disrupted, jobs and income lost, sickness and hospitalization, and so much more – none of which we saw coming. This pandemic is a hard reminder of the truth that on our own and left to our own devices we’re really powerless all the time. So where can we find power and meaning and hope? 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His mercy on us we do have power – the power to love and serve others. Even in a time of pandemic we don’t have to cower in fear or be paralyzed by powerlessness. Instead we can embrace the spirit of power we’ve been given by God and live a life of selflessness and sacrifice towards others.