Was Covid a Test from God?
Welcome to another Still in the Storm Substack post.
Today, I want to consider whether covid was a test from God.
I’m not talking about a test you take in school. Although, you could consider this the school of life or even better the school of Christ.
We all face tests throughout life. Many of these will define who we are and what we ultimately do with our lives.
I think Covid was one such test. This might not be straightforward so hear me out.
Many people throughout covid were presented with a clear choice. Accept and adhere to the government’s policies/mandates or face the consequences. (Of course, we know that much of it was illegal, unethical, and without any enforcement mechanism but please play along for the sake of the argument.)
In many cases, the consequence was that you wouldn’t be allowed to shop in a particular store, eat in a restaurant, attend a concert, etc. Despite what some thought, this wasn’t of much consequence but it didn’t stop at that.
Then there was the one that crossed a line which impacted many people. It was when the covid vaccines were mandated for employment.
Failure to comply here would result in not just a job loss but, much more. Many lost careers, homes, marriages, children, and families just to name a few.
This wasn’t the loss of going out for dinner at your favorite restaurant or even hearing your favorite band play. It was the destruction of lives and livelihoods.
That is a test.
Essentially, the question was “Are you willing to lose?”
Or even, “Are you willing to lose your job and everything else that goes with it for not taking an experimental drug?”
I was and did. Now, my family and I continue to face the consequences but I have no regrets.
Now I’d like to pose the question a little differently.
Consider the following:
“Are you willing to lay your job/career on an altar to God with no preconditions whatsoever?”
Many people, including myself, love their jobs and careers so much that they take a large place in our hearts. They even occupy the priority of time, attention, and energy in our lives.
That doesn’t leave room for much else, especially God. And, I’ve realized that when He calls you He wants all of you.
There is no room for you to possess anything else in your heart. So, if you offer Him your life He will shine a light on anything that occupies that place He so desires.
Then you will be brought to a point of testing so that He can see where you stand.
Were you sincere when you offered yourself or did you come with preconditions?
I know now that when you offer God your life He takes that very seriously and will act accordingly.
Don’t believe me? Then consider how He tested Abraham with his son Issac.
The Lord promised Abraham and his wife Sarah a son who would fulfill His covenant. At first, they doubted God and tried to take care of things themselves but God would not be made a fool of.
He brought them to a point where they could not physically have had a child and then He gave them a son, Issac.
Following this Abraham knew God was true to His word and he had faith. Despite that, he began to put Issac before everything. Even God.
If you’ve read the Bible and the book of Genesis then you know what happened next.
God gives Abraham the ultimate test, Issac or Me? Certainly an impossible choice for any father but, one that God sought nonetheless.
You can just imagine how much Abraham wrestled with this. God had asked him to bring Issac to the region of Moriah and to offer him as a sacrifice to Him.
“Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.””
Genesis 22:2
What He wanted to know was whether Issac so occupied Abraham’s heart that there was no place for God.
Was Abraham willing to see that Issac was a gift from God and that it was God who should occupy his heart?
God needed a man who was willing to walk in complete faith with Him. Was Abraham that man? Or would he withhold from God his son, his only son?
That is what was at stake.
Ultimately, Abraham resolves to give up Issac to God. That pleases God and He steps in to save him just before Abraham does the deed.
From that point on Abraham saw all that he had been given from God as a loan rather than things he possessed. Oh and if you aren’t aware, Abraham was quite wealthy.
Well, as many do currently, I loved my job. It had become a career which is where the problem starts.
God freely provides all that we need and since we live in the world then we must have jobs in the world to meet our needs and even more so to help others.
The needs I speak of are things like food, clothes, and a roof over our heads, not fancy cars, designer clothes, or the latest tech gadgets.
When we begin to strive for those worldly things we turn a job into a career. You can’t keep up with the Joneses with a job that just meets your basic needs.
I wanted success, power, wealth, and more. It led me to become practically obsessed with moving up the career ladder and I was willing to do whatever it took. I played the game at work and I even went back for another degree.
It barely left any time for my family, forget about God.
At the end of 2018, I lost my Dad following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer and I turned to the Lord. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, He took that seriously.
Fast forward to 2021 and right amid covid God decided it was time for a test.
He took something that occupied a significant place in my heart that He desired to have and asked me to put it on the altar.
Was I willing to let go or would I withhold from God my career?
Well, you know the answer but, at the time I didn’t understand it in the way I do now. Still, I believed that God was likely calling me out of the world system and my career.
However, I didn’t realize what a stranglehold my career had on me. I had heard that my former industry, biotech, was soul-sucking but didn’t think it could happen to me. After all, I had intended to do good and for God’s glory.
Boy was I naive! I had become consumed with worldly gain and lost sight of what was real. Fortunately, we have a God that never gives up on us.
If not for this situation and this test I never would have realized the gravity of the situation. I do not doubt that it would have only gotten worse had I decided to go the other direction.
I know that this is only just the beginning of my transformation and my new walk but, it amazes me how good God is. What a Christ!
Before I wrap this up, I want to share a few thoughts on the other side of the test I faced.
If you recall I said that the test was whether I could let go of my job and yield my heart to the Lord but that is not the way that many saw it.
Some people believed that the test was simply whether they could step up and support their families. A noble cause for sure but, the result was that they decided to take the jab and keep their jobs.
Please know that in no way am I casting judgment. Everyone had a reason for what they decided to do and I can’t possibly put myself in all of their shoes.
Regardless, I think an opportunity was missed. Did they not see it as a test from God? Perhaps but perhaps not.
It is important to remember that the devil will always try to deceive us and tempt us in these situations. He will try to get us to take the easiest path and it’s so much easier to not have to start over from scratch.
Just know that if you give your life to the Lord He will take that seriously, deadly seriously. So much so that He will give you a test where you have to be willing to put to death something that you possess in your heart.
How far are you willing to go for the Lord? Will you withhold from Him what He desires or will you let go?
Let me know what you think in the discussion below.
Talk soon,
Mike
P.S. I’m working on a new email course for Science Defined.
It’s going to be a challenge to see if you can read and evaluate a scientific paper in 7 days. I’ll be equipping you with everything you need to be successful.
As well, following the completion of the challenge you will have a roadmap that you can use for any scientific paper moving forward.
I am working hard to get it ready to launch but I need your help. It would be great to have a few early adopters who are willing to go through it and provide some feedback.
If you are interested and willing to help please either leave a comment to this post or send an email to mike@sciencedefined.com. Thank you!
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I've thought the same, that it was a test, since it happened. The figurative "masks" dropped for me on so many "friends" that were coworkers. They shunned me, some took joy in seeing me extorted, and I quit my job making a great income. I lost the career I had worked for for 10 years, and the comfort it provided. It was a spiritual test. I'm still a sinner. I've read that others that did the same miraculously found better jobs making far more. That hasn't been the case for me. It has been a long, grueling, painful test. I'm far worse off than if I had bent the knee, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. The strong, inner voice that said "no" during the vaxxtortion could only have been God. I live with the pain of knowing I could still be there, living in comfort, making lots of money and enjoying a carefree (but misguided) life had I just filled out the religious exemption, but I didn't know that at the time. It is what it is, and I'm okay with how I answered the test.
It definitely seemed that way to me too, that the whole thing was a test from God. My husband was undergoing cancer treatment when my work mandate came down and he's on my insurance. I agonized over my religious exemption request, spent several weeks preparing it to ensure I was clear, concise, and using appropriate verses to explain my thinking. It was accepted and I'm still employed there today. However it wasn't my chosen career - during the COVID years, I had a brand new master's degree and many interviews (while employed) but no offers. I was blessed by God to know after the fact that the interview/job I was most excited about, and didn't get, that company accepted zero religious exemption requests. I could write for hours about all the different ways in the last 4 years that God has shown me He has a plan, He sees everything, He knows before I do and has things moving and in place right when we've needed them. The COVID years have built my faith like nothing befoire (some to do with COVID and some not). I don't know why I waste any time worrying about anything now.