For some, reading the title of this essay may have piqued your interest.
Is this article about health?
Digestion? Fiber? On the contrary.
The word colon - pronounced (co- lun,) encompasses more than one meaning. But for the sake of time and interest, allow me to share the impact one tiny punctuation mark can have.
The colon:
Easily defined, the colon is a tiny punctuation mark in the English language. It typically precedes a list of items, a quotation, an expansion of thought, deed, or explanation. But before you stifle your next yawn and sign off to troll Facebook, IG, or social media, let’s unpack this bad boy and see how one little colon impacts and influences our natural and spiritual world.
From January 2020 to the present, America has dealt with Covid Sars 2, or the Coronavirus Pandemic. Beginning in Wuhan China and sweeping throughout the world, the US has had the highest infection rate, and remained the country with the most outbreaks at over 39 million, according to statistics on Reuters graphics.
In spite of the vaccine modality in place, the Covid virus is much like a seasonal yearlong flu - except on steroids! (PLEASE KNOW I’m not underplaying the severity or the dire consequences of any Pandemic, nor this virus, the point I’m making will be further understood as you continue reading.)
During our weekly connection, my sister Susan shared her concerns - and the constant anxiety bridling her throughout the Pandemic.
A former service member and retired Staff Sergeant, she has seen her share of ‘ugly’ and knows all too well how to defend herself from an enemy. However, unlike her former days in Iraq where she monitored enemy whereabouts, this ‘enemy,’ Covid, is invisible. You can’t see it. One simply succumbs to its nasty fallout after it's infected your body. It continues to be the unknown variable that keeps her on edge.
Even months after Americans stayed at home to ‘flatten-the-curve,’ people have continued to be fearful. A survey taken by a syndicated news outlet revealed the number one issue associated with the unraveling of families during Covid, and the confidence in the US economy is stress.
Be it the burden of working from home with no childcare, homeschool issues, internet connectivity, unemployment / staying ahead of an eviction notice, or ongoing health issues from the fallout of Covid; all of it weighs heavily on a body’s natural ability to balance stress.
Uncontrolled stress, anxiety, and fear are the opposite of trust - they’re byproducts of a life not rooted in God.
Plainly said, it’s the antithesis of a faith-filled life.
But before you cast a stone in my direction, please hear me out.
I’m not saying we don’t experience stress, become fearful, or feel anxious from time to time. As a matter of fact, having a healthy sense of ‘fear’ may minimize its negative effects; fear can actually compel you to “run” during a dangerous situation - like when you see a bear approaching!
Jesus warns us in his Word that we’ll have trials, sorrow, persecution, and tribulation. In the truest essence, viruses, diseases, and strange phenomena are not new. The Bible is not only a historical book, it’s prophetic – foretelling signs and events which will come to pass.
Consider the scripture Matthew 24:6
And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass . . .
In this verse, nested between two thoughts, is a powerful little grammar mark – the colon.
Jesus tells us, “See that ye be not troubled” – in simple English, “Don’t worry about it.”
That one little colon in the middle of the sentence gives us pause and reminds us to take a breath, to look at the bigger picture; the end is not yet – it’s a sign that Jesus is coming back.
This should encourage every believer!
Sadly, people who don’t have a relationship with God set their hopes on the things of this present world. They’re influenced heavily by media: what they watch, read, and listen to. These false protective barriers – i.e. security from fame on social media, wealth, education, or status, serve only to remind them how isolating and lonely life can be.
In fact, the Pandemic of 2020 revealed just how Americans lived through a season of forced isolation. For many, it caused us to examine ourselves, the way we reacted to others, and how we responded: both our actions or inactions, as well as the climate of our current culture.
Most telling was the SAH order, which revealed how resourceful and intentional we needed to be in staying connected to one another.
That said, as the pandemic wanes, people have begun to realize where to find true value: in the love of family, friends, connections, and of faith.
When we’re faced with fears, plagued by the news of a world spinning out of control, when we feel helpless over the future, when friends are few, and our finances are depleted, where is our strength?
Where is our power to overcome? What is the answer?
The answer lies in the word of God.
In a story in the new testament, Jesus offers instruction to his disciples by telling them not to store up (save up) treasures on this earth, which will eventually decay and become moth-eaten.
The number of followers, likes, fame, notoriety, or money in your bank account, will never gift you with inner peace.
Only Jesus can give peace.
He not only gives you peace, but he also gives you tools to defeat your enemy.
Jesus says, Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Do you see the colon in the verse?
The words directly following it declare God’s truth:
Nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luke 10:19 KJV
What is this power? How can I get it to live a bold life?
It’s found in his WORD! His word will anchor you.
His word will bring peace and hope.
His Word will give you power to overcome.
Peter tells his audience about receiving ‘this power’:
. . . but ye shall receive power, after that the holy ghost is come upon you
Acts 1:8 KJV
Today, if you're worried about current events, overwhelmed by doubt and fear, you can experience true peace and power simply by putting your faith in God.
But what does that even mean?
What does “putting my faith in God” look like?
Simply stated, putting your faith in God happens, by obeying the gospel.
The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When we repent of our sins and ask forgiveness, it’s a form of spiritual death.
We then are ‘buried’ when we are baptized in Jesus' Name and resurrected, or ‘come to new life,’
when we receive the infilling of God’s spirit.
(The Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost.)
It is upon these pillars: death, burial, and resurrection- the gospel stands.
To that end – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
is the irrefutable evidence of how salvation came to earth.
Paul explains it simply : The Gospel brings salvation.
1 Corinthians 15: 1-4
Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I have preached unto you . . . (verse 2) By which also ye are saved . . . How that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day.
Furthermore, the gospel brings with it the expectation of a better future, a hope that things will improve; it’s the comforting assurance of brighter days ahead.
A world where people will smile again - without fear, without a mask.
Where neighbors will greet each other with a handshake, and share stories over coffee in living rooms or kitchens - in 'Real time' not through Zoom or Facetime,
knowing that our heavenly Father has it all under control
This is true power.
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.
1 Thessalonians 1:5
What we have on this earth, everything we own or even aspire to own, is temporary.
Fortunate and blessed are the people who realize what’s truly important:
faith, family & heartfelt connections.
Friend, if you’re struggling today, low in strength, or wish you had ‘power’ to overcome, I offer you the Gospel. It gives you everything you need to live a peaceful, joy-filled, overcoming life.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope,
through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13
This is the power behind one little colon: The Gospel.
It brings real hope.
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