3 THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WITH YOUR CORONAVIRUS BREAK
Intro:
Today on my birthday, I choose to share a message in line with the current crisis. Schools have been shut due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In some badly-hit countries like Italy, there is a lockdown to check the spread of the virus. With offices closed and movement restricted, people are cooped up at home. Although Nigeria isn’t quite there yet, no one knows how bad the spread of the virus will be here and what measures the government will take in the near future. Anyway, if you’re home in this circumstance, here are three things you shouldn’t do.
3 Things You Shouldn’t Do During This Break
1. Binge on music, video games, CableTV and streaming services:
We live in an entertainment-saturated age. But because we have to work or study, many of us have little time to lose ourselves in media entertainment and that is a good thing. Even during this break, moderate the video games you play, the movies you watch and the music you watch/listen to. (Music can be in the background while you do other things, not that you devote hours and hours just watching or listening to it.)
Moderation should come not only in terms of limiting time spent but in ensuring we expose ourselves to wholesome stuff. Don’t incur a mountain of debt from your media options and don’t weaken your body from inactivity, stretched out on the sofa or in bed for hours and hours. Pick clean humour or other uplifting stuff and enjoy it with your family, except you are sick or in self-isolation.
Here are some examples whom you may already be familiar with. David R. White, the Kendrick brothers, Bruce Marchiano, T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry are Christian filmmakers. Jeanne Robertson, Chonda Pierce, Jeff Allen, Tim Hawkins and Anita Renfroe are Christian comedians. There are so many Christian musicians. I’m just going to name some Nigerian examples: Frank Edwards, Sinach, Steve Crown, Eben and Paul Enenche. Thankfully, you can search the Internet to familiarise yourself with these and many more. Time spent with their works is time well spent, but set a reasonable limit for each day.
2. Obsess over COVID-19:
This virus is scary, especially because of its ability to spread rapidly and exponentially increase cases of infection. But the world is full of scary things and this won’t be the last if the Lord Jesus tarries. While you need information on its spread, efforts at containment and treatment in different countries, it’s unhealthy to be consumed by it. This is an age of information overload and many seem to be talking about this nonstop. Don’t inundate yourself with stories about it, especially from news media that helped to create and are feeding mass hysteria over the outbreak. Pick the basics daily and move on to other things.
No matter how bad it gets, this pandemic will pass. I choose to be hopeful and not buy into the doom and gloom that some are peddling. The news media revel in this sort of thing pushing worst case scenarios. But God is still in control. I am happy the US president, Donald Trump, declared March 15 a national day of prayer over this and has maintained an encouraging and optimistic tone. We should continue in prayer wherever we are and watch God help us flatten the curve, as they say, in our various countries.
Fear and panic are very unhelpful in this situation. We should use this time to get closer to God, build a better bond with those that matter in our lives and reset our priorities. There is something wrong with our faith if we are so afraid of death or illhealth. These things are part of the sad reality in this fallen world but the Christian is supposed to take them in stride knowing that God will work out everything for our good. Rather than lose our minds with fear like everyone else, we have a great opportunity to share the gospel in this distressing time. If we survive this, we continue to faithfully serve the Lord, if we don’t we enter a very desirable rest.
Personally, I find the world and the direction it’s heading (away from God into insanity and unbelievable wickedness) so distasteful that I often pray for the Lord Jesus’ return. The song, “This world is not my home,” never rang more true than now. But it is God who has the final say on what will be the outcome of the present danger. I watched a video clip where televangelist Kenneth Copeland said God told him this pandemic will be over sooner than we think (See video below.). I say, “Amen,” and as I stressed in my penultimate post on this blog, as individuals, families and nations, God can restore what we lose during this trying time.
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(Related: God Can Restore What You Lost)
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As for the One World Government and martial law prognostications tied to COVID-19 and the unnecessary panic it has generated, do not be afraid. These things will happen only when God allows them. The New World Order cabal which thinks it is running this world and can play people’s lives and events like chess is subject to God. None of their schemes will come to fruition till God is good and ready.
3. Take unnecessary risks:
While on break, continue to practice the hygiene rules we have been told can prevent contracting the virus, avoid crowds and regular physical contact with strangers, like shaking hands and hugging. It is not a negation of faith to do so. If you are going to be in a large crowd, pray for the sick or expose yourself in anyway, be sure to have got a spiritual greenlight for this. Don’t do anything just to prove a point. Don’t do things just so you can later brag that, “While others were refraining, I did this …” You may not survive to tell that story or you may survive and remain in bad shape.
And while scientists are searching for cures and vaccines, do not take unverified routes to prevent or cure this infection. Even the use of existing drugs should be by the direction of a physician. Simply because Trump mentioned that antimalarials like Hydroxychloroquine have been helpful in treating the symptoms of the COVID-19 disease, people have been stocking up on Chloroquine, leading to scarcities and a huge spike in its price. Worse than that, some have been admitted to hospital for Chloroquine overdose and I hear there has even been death. This is madness! To endanger one’s life to be safe from a disease that one hasn’t even contracted?
Conclusion:
We serve a mighty God but we often magnify our problems above Him. He should be our source of confidence at a time like this. He is bigger than COVID-19 and any situation we can ever face and He will definitely come through for us as we put our trust in Him.
Scriptures:
Psalm 91:1-4, 14-16
“1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I ] will be[ with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.”
1 Peter 2:24
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
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The scriptures used in this post are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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❤️
Hi! Hope you were blessed by this post. Kindly share other things we shouldn’t be doing during this break. May the Lord keep you and your family safe in Jesus’ name.
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Happy Birthday Ma?
The second point is so important. Everyone’s literally obsessed with the Covid-19 virus, it is very important but also is distracting us from other important things. Hopefully we use this break to achieve a lot while staying safe.
Right. God bless you richly, my dear!
Firstly, happy birthday to you ma, may the good lord continue to keep you in good health of mind body and soul as you continue the good work here on earth.
I must say am very scared indeed, different news everyday, death and suffering the only news we hear everyday, Lord have mercy on your children. I’m really going to adhere to the above guide ma, thank you and once again happy birthday ma.
Thanks for your good wishes, Gabriel. It shall be well.
Tnk you so much Ma for this important information. I was abit scared but I know that God is bigger than All our problems.
#Belated Happy birthday ???
It’s still my birthday, so it’s not belated. Thank you and God bless you abundantly in Jesus’ name.
May God keep us safe in this time of distress.
Thank you for this writeup and have a wonderful birthday ma.
Amen and amen. May the Lord cover you with His feathers in Jesus’ name.
Happiest birthday ma. I celebrate u today. You are an Epitome of love and care for the younger generation. An inspiration to us. May God keep blessing you with more life, good health, prosperity, success and all good things you wish for.
Thank you for this vital advice. It is a caution worth taking
And thank you for your kind words. Be lifted in Jesus’ name.
This is very important ma at a time like this. Thanks for the handy thoughts. A happy birthday to you ?
Thanks a lot, Agnes, and have a great/productive break!
Thank you ma for this advisory piece, it surely gave me closure as regards the recent pandemic…
Also happy birthday ma???……… Wishing you more of God’s blessings
Amen. May the Lord shelter you and yours in Jesus’ name.
Happy birthday Aunty Edith an epitome of kindness and cheerfulness. I wish you long and happy years ahead.
This break is indeed a long one and in the midst of this virus scare, it is important just as you said not to obsess over this virus but to remember to pray and be hopeful and lastly to remember this world is not ours. This is very true. This virus should serve as a reminder that we need God everyday of our lives and the importance of good hygiene . I hope we all as students take the advice and reduce stay on the media and our panic on the virus and, lastly, avoid unnecessary risks as youths.
I really like this piece. Please ma Permit me to share this post with other friends outside the department of Mass Communication to whom it will be instructive as well.
Let me start by saying happy birthday to our unique mummy of the department.
Long life, prosperity, good health, divine inspiration,multiplication in every sphere of life shall define your new age.
Anytime you pick up your pen to write, the Lord shall give you inspiration to overflow.
And because you ‘ve gone beyond the normal lecturer-student relationship and have stood in loco parentis for us, the good Lord will bless your seeds and they will be for signs and wonders in Jesus name.
I will adhere strictly to your advice in this piece as someone had rightly pledged to, in his comment above.
Let me just reiterate few points you ‘ve
already made above.
Dwelling in God is the only solution to this extant problem as PS 91 :1 -4 above said .
Dispelling fear,is important ,Ps 91:5 .
Strong believe in the sovereignty of God over the everything will help us seriously. Phil 2:10. Gen 18:14. Isaiah 43:1-5.
Personal hygiene is indispensable
Don’t stop going to church Heb,10:25 because God has the solution this
In summary obey the FGN in all but going to church.
But ma’am, what’s your take on the issue of not going to church?
On how to maximize the corona break , a personal time table will be helpful .
Thanks a whole lot and by all means share.
Ma I humbly applaud your creating awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic. But on another note, we should put our faith in GOD Who is our mighty physician. I pray for healing upon the globe at large.
Amen in Jesus’ name.
Thank you so much Ma for this. It’s as though the Lord is beckoning on the world to retreat. I pray we heed to call and do the needful.
Happy Bleated Birthday Ma! Many more years and blessing. One of the difficult things to do during this break has been studying but I am inspired.
Thank you ma for this advice. Lol, but this is literally what everyone does, because they claim they are bored and need to do something. But I believe we should be productive, in order to help ourselves. Instead of playing video games, we could enroll to some of these online classes and probably learn a skill or the other.
You’re blessed by all means ma! Keep it up ?❤️
This is really helpful ma’am. We will have to try to do it because most of this things we can’t do without doing them
“be sure to have got a spiritual greenlight for this. Don’t do anything just to prove a point” this got me ma. In the name of “I am anointed” Truly ma
Happy Glorious birthday ma.Well to me one the things we should not be doing with this break is stigmatization,if you have someone around you who has the virus,do not discriminate, do not stigmatise against such person,rather show love for we are all equal before God.Remember, the virus is not actually a death sentence,so do remember those around you because in unity in God we stand.
I have found studying really challenging this season Ma, with the reason that it’s boring and tiring reading at home, but this post has really inspired me Ma, thank you so much. Happy belated birthday. May your life be sweet.
Well said ma! there is every need to engage our time in things that are productive including those audios that would lift our spirit especially in this period we are all home. Making a good use of our time and not being addicted with the movie series and social media is one that should not be neglected
Thank you ma for the inspiring piece, May God continue to bless you with more of his wisdom!
Thank you so much ma for the this inspiring write ups. Cause this is certainly part of the write up people like me have been waiting for. The truth is that I didn’t really know much about this time utilization. Now the saying “Time waits for no man “comes in here ;cause every minutes, seconds and hours that goes will never come back again .. Now I say to myself “NO ROOM FOR DELAY ANYMORE”.