Kingdom Work during the Pandemic

This is a difficult time.  Difficult times do not mean that Kingdom Work is on hold.  In fact, The act of being a disciple is all the more important right now as this is the kind of world the Christian is called to act in ways that are specifically Christ like.  We are not destined to be self-serving, and as such, we must think in ways that are kingdom-minded, and not solely on how to help our own plights.  So after a few weeks of “staying in”, here are some ways you can begin to act with the mind of Christ.

Forgive a debt
Honestly, is there a better way to come out of the gates and bring your discipleship to new heights.  Perhaps you have a family member, friend, or co worker who asked to borrow money at one point.  Maybe you’ve ben hanging that over their head, either overtly or subliminally, and the time for you to stop that is now.  Call them up, tell them you love them, and tell them they no longer owe you that money (or whatever the debt might be.  Forgiving debt is found all throughout scripture, including the item we refer to as the gospel, so start there.  Build a relationship up by forgiving someone a debt they owe you.

Spend Quality time with your family
A lot of time is going to spent with screens in the next few months.  That is a fact, and outside of completely shutting them down, there’s not much you can do about that.  However, making sure to spend an appropriate time of quality family time is so important right now.  In fact, if you have multiple family members, I don’t just mean spending time with your whole family together.  I mean ensuring that you spend time talking and getting to know better every individual in your household.

Volunteer Feeding Lunches
You may or may not know this, but kids in schools count on the breakfasts and lunches they receive to get them through the day, as many time they don’t have a lot to eat at home.  Now that there is no school, the question is, “Do they have enough to eat at home?”  There might be non profit organizations in your area helping to feed those kids.  I’m not saying we all should go help, as that would be dangerous, but someone needs to do it.  Maybe it’s you?

Send a text or make a phone call
During this time, people are going to get lonely.  People who you know, and who might be struggling to survive economically and emotionally.  Sit down and write a list of people who you haven’t heard from in a while, and reach out to them with a text or a phone call.  Let them know you’re praying for them and ask if there is anything you can do for them.  Tell them you love them, and you believe in them.

Clean up Nature
My family and I have taken a few walks in the nature zone in the last few weeks.  One thing I’ve noticed is that some of those trails/parks tend to be more littered than others.  Maybe the next time you take a walk (and trust me, good weather is coming, depending on where you live.  Perhaps it’s already here), take a trash bag with you and have your family pick up the trash you notice on your walk.  Teach your family the importance of taking care of the earth and making sure they know that man was placed as God’s caretakers to create and cultivate in this physical space.

Making masks and donating surgical gloves to hospitals
I don’t know how all of this works, but there are people right now on their sewing machines making masks because it appears hospitals are having a hard time keeping up with the current demand.  You might wonder whether or not hospitals will accept masks like this, but apparently, over time, and if things get worse, they will begin accepting whatever they have.  You can do the research online and figure out how to make them.  Now it’s just a matter of making them.  Or delivering them.  or whatever might be in your wheelhouse.

Host a Bible Study/Small group on a video conferencing site
It’s as easy as ever.  You just need to do a little bit of research in technology and with a few clicks of a button and invitations to those around you, you can gather together to study scripture, pray, talk about life in quarantine, or encourage one another towards love and good deeds.

Pray
I don’t mean this is an “I’ll pray for you, and then forget about it” kind of way.  I mean this like you carve a literal space out of your day and talk to God.  If you don’t believe God can take care of you or those around you, then Christianity is probably not for you.  However, as. disciple focused on kingdom work, make the most of this time by getting alone with God, praying with your family, and maybe even a Facetimeing prayer session with a fellow disciple.

But that’s just me.  What types of kingdom work have you made happen in your endeavors?

This article was written by Martin Holman