So you’re stuck in Quarantine, now what? Can you still grow spiritually? Does God have anything to say about how you should spend your time?
Ephesians 5:15-16 says,
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
When I found out I tested positive for Covid-19 and would have to isolate from my family for 2 weeks I knew I had a choice. I could waste that time binging Netflix and scrolling through random Youtube videos or I could use it to grow in my faith. The Lord had provided an opportunity. He wanted me to be wise with it.
You want to be wise too! So here are a few lessons I learned from my time in quarantine and how you can make the most of it to develop yourself.
1. Create a Routine
All-day is a long time. It’s easy to have good intentions and think, “I’ve got so many hours to spend time reading the Bible,” but then watch as the time wastes away without doing it. After the first day or two of not getting much done, I realized I needed to create a routine. The simple structure of a daily planner really helped me maximize my days alone.
Start each day filling out the following chart (download and print it off here). Make “3 Big Wins” of what you want to do that day. Those are your top priorities. Then fill out the rest with the activities you want to do each hour. Include your meals, breaks, workouts, a movie to watch, etc. It’s important to stay active and rest well, but you’ll notice once you plan all that in you’ll still have several hours to read, pray, and grow through the resources listed below.
It might seem tough to “take a risk” in isolation like the chart lists, but push yourself to pray longer than you have before. Call one of your friends and start a spiritual conversation. You can think of ways to stretch yourself.
2. Collect good Resources
It could be the Lord has granted you this week or two of a slowdown to help you connect with Him. You want to feed your soul with helpful tools. Here are a few ideas for ways to deepen your faith:
Study a book of the Bible Inductively
- Devotional checklist download – http://bit.ly/devotionalchecklist
- Inductive observations helps – http://bit.ly/InductiveGuide
Read a book on developing your prayer life:
- A Praying Life – Paul Miller – https://amzn.to/3aYocwR
- Power through Prayer — E.M. Bounds https://amzn.to/3gtGDup
- Prayer – Tim Keller https://amzn.to/2EAnvxB
(FYI: The links above link to Amazon and earn a small commission if you make a purchase. It’s no extra charge to you but helps me keep this site going. Thanks!)
Listen to a sermon series while you go on a walk or workout
- List of 75 of greatest sermons: https://www.monergism.com/blog/75-best-sermons
- Overview of Bible: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/dust-to-glory/
Make Tangible Applications
- Grow your spiritual disciplines (Here is part 1 of a 5 part series on spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, Scripture memory, and fasting)
- Go on a prayer walk
- Log on and watch your church’s Sunday service
You could look back on this time and realize it was incredibly fruitful for your devotional life.
3. Control Temptations
We know that isolation is dangerous when it comes to temptation. It has always been Satan’s strategy to separate his prey from healthy fellowship. If you add boredom on top of that, you know you are in a situation to stumble. The first 2 points will help you, but you need to be proactive in fighting sinful temptations.
You know your weaknesses. Go ahead and admit you are heading into a season of heightened struggle. One of my mentors always texts me when he is about to travel. He tells me to ask him if he looked at pornography the next day. He knows it’s possible. But opening that line of communication is often enough to help to get him through the night.
Galatians 6:1-2 says,
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Be sure and have 1 or 2 other people that check-in with you each day. Allow others to bear these temptations with you.
That leads us to our last point…
4. Connect with Others
All of the resources above are great, but are limited in their usefulness if you do them by yourself. We weren’t meant to grow in our faith alone. Going through them together with a friend or two would multiply their impact. For one, another person provides accountability and motivation.
Just recently I read through a book with a friend of mine. Each day we’d text each other our highlights and talk briefly about them. I got way more out of that book than I would have if I had read it alone.
Quarantine might force you to isolate, but don’t let yourself become isolated.
Quarantine might force you to isolate, but don't let yourself become isolated. Click To TweetWho are 1 or 2 people you can talk to on a regular basis during your quarantine? Tell them about your plans and ask them to encourage you and hold you accountable.
Another way to connect with others is to use the resources to spark spiritual conversation. Quarantine doesn’t have to halt your ministry outreach. Take something you read or learned and text a friend who doesn’t know Jesus. Ask them to check it out. That could be a great tool the Holy Spirit uses in their life.
Put it Into Practice:
Don’t let these 4 points be ideas or simple encouragements. Do them! Make the most of this time God has given you. Be ready to come out at the end refreshed in the Lord, encouraged in your faith, and motivated to make disciples.
