In the sermon he delivered on March 6, 2022, Pastor Eric informed his congregation that as the Covid restrictions of the past two years are being lifted and we are beginning to glimpse the Covid season fading into the distance, it is now time to bid farewell to Covid and all of our bad habits. Although the habits we adopted were beneficial for a time, they will be detrimental to our spiritual health if we continue to practice them.

We should abandon the following two Covid bad habits:

1 – The Blame Game

First and foremost, we should stop playing the blame game. Although this unhealthy habit may have existed prior to Covid, it became increasingly prominent over time. Over the past two years, it may even have been exaggerated and encouraged. As Covid disappears from view, you and I will no longer be able to attribute our problems to it.

When I am in front of a television screen, a computer monitor, or a mobile phone, it is easy for me to blame everyone and everything for my lack of happiness, my inability to accomplish my God-given purpose, and my inability to experience the joy of the Lord. My problems are my responsibility – and mine alone. They cannot be attributed to anything or anyone else. The difficulties I am experiencing in my life are indicative of a problem with my relationship with God. At a time when it is far too easy to point the finger at others, let’s not adopt a victim mentality. It is important that we learn to take responsibility for our intentions, decisions, and actions.

Read Genesis 3:12-13

The blame game has existed since the beginning of time. Do you remember Adam and Eve, the first human beings created by God? In the Garden of Eden, they were provided with all that they needed: food, work, companionship, and fellowship with God. However, they were forbidden to eat from one particular tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They disobeyed God and ate from this tree. When God confronted Adam and Eve about their disobedience, Adam stated that God gave this woman to him and that she gave him fruit from the tree. Adam blamed Eve for his disobedience. Eve said that the snake had tricked her, so she ate the fruit. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. There is no indication in Scripture that Adam or Eve apologized to God. Lies and blame are part of human nature.

Complaining, blaming others, and pointing out what is wrong with the world is easier than accepting responsibility for the problem and working toward a solution. In 2022, our church must be part of the solution. Problem-solving cannot be delegated to others. We should ask God, “Lord, what would You have me do in order to rectify the problem and what role would You have me play?” You and I need to take ownership!

Read Numbers 20:10 and Deuteronomy 4:21

In Numbers 20, the people of Israel were nearing the end of their forty-year wilderness journey. As they approached the Desert of Zin, no water was available for them to drink; therefore, the Israelites revolted against Moses and Aaron. Consequently, Moses gathered the Israelites and struck the rock with his staff rather than speaking to it as God had instructed him to do. Due to his disobedience, God denied him entry into the Promised Land. Moses then informed the people of God that the Lord was angry with him because of their actions. Moses pointed the finger at the Jews. As you can see, the blame game goes back thousands of years. Even great men like Moses fell prey to it.

Accusing others is dangerous because it may lead to a false sense of security. We may be misled into believing that we are better than we actually are. Inevitably, we will all, without exception, stand before the throne of God one day, where we will be required to give a detailed account of our lives. At that time, we will not be able to point fingers at others.

In spite of our difficulties, God is merciful to us. Essentially, mercy means not receiving the punishment we deserve. We should be held accountable for our actions. However, Christ’s mercy and death on the cross allow us to live without fear of God’s judgment. This is a mercy that is freely given by our heavenly Father. In spite of this, as we can see from the examples of Adam and Eve, and Moses above, God will sometimes reject our excuses.

The reason we should avoid portraying ourselves as victims is that God does not see us this way. He sees us as overcomers. His Spirit resides within us; therefore, we are empowered to lead a godly life. It does not mean that God expects us to live a faultless or perfect life, but rather that we should strive to live such a life.

Read Proverbs 28:13

2 – Failing to expect deep relationships

Another habit we must overcome is not expecting closeness in our relationships. When we accept poor or artificial relationships, we are tolerating and justifying them.

How does the Bible address the issue?

Read Hebrews 13:1, Romans 12:10 and John 13:34-35

In order for the world to recognize that we are disciples of Christ, we must love and respect each other as Jesus did, and give each other more honour than we desire for ourselves. It is also imperative that we create an environment where love can flourish in the church and among believers. No one exemplifies love more than Jesus, because God is love. It is noteworthy that Jesus sacrificed His life for the sake of His friends and the church. Not only did He die for us, but He continues to live for us, His bride.

The above verses indicate that our relationships should be characterized by closeness, love, and brotherly affection. This contrasts with artificially created relationships that are superficial and keep us at a distance from one another. Over the past two years, we have been repeatedly instructed to maintain a distance of two metres between us. The conversations that took place were conducted through face masks; we could not convene for meals; we were not permitted to attend funerals; and discussions were heavily influenced by news headlines. Moreover, when we began to have genuine conversations, most of them revolved around Covid. The past two years have been detrimental to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. We have become colder and indifferent. Over time, Covid became the norm for us and we became accustomed to it.

Pastor Eric did not imply that everyone must become our closest friends, but that we should welcome others into our lives. Our walls must be taken down. We must not remain confined to our own little bubbles. Others also need to be included. We must remember that humanity was created for social interaction. It is not good for man to be alone. Although God blessed Adam with many animals, they were insufficient. He needed Eve, a companion who was equal to him. Likewise, the church community and family require that we be connected to each other. Without mutual interdependence, we cannot achieve our goals. We will miss out on God’s plan for our church. Therefore, it is imperative that we change these unhealthy habits.

Pastor Eric urges us to resist the temptation to remain independent and isolated. Our isolation has lasted far too long. It is time to reconnect. Join us. Come and grow with this imperfect church. Let’s do life together.

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