These are tough days. Grief and fear have overtaken many who are hopeless. My friends, because of the resurrection, we who trust in Jesus Christ do not grieve like those who have no hope! Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in I Thessalonians 4:

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Paul is calling on us to encourage one another with the power of the resurrection! Here are three things we can do to thrive, even in the midst of a pandemic:

First, Focus on what you have, not on what you’ve lost. It’s OK to grieve what you’ve lost, but if you spend too much time in grief, you’ll end up losing what you have — and that will be a double loss. You have much to be thankful for, so look for your blessings and rejoice in them! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thriving in the resurrection requires a thankful heart — and there is always something to be thankful for if you are willing to open your eyes and your heart to see it.

What have you lost recently? When I asked our youth group this question, it was clear they had lost a lot: time with friends, band concerts, winter playoffs, spring sports, recitals, birthday celebrations, proms, graduations — it was a long list.

Grief is natural and healthy — and all of us are mourning our losses. Have you taken the time to grieve? Doing so is healthy. Make a list of what you have lost and allow your heart to mourn. Do you remember what Jesus did when He found out that Lazarus was dead? John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” It’s good and holy and healthy to mourn.

But as you grieve, be thankful. Alongside your list of losses, write your blessings. Doing so will take discipline, but remember, the Christian life is the disciplined life. It is why we are called disciples. God wants us to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so moves us toward overcoming — and as we overcome, the power of the resurrection is displayed in our lives.

What do you still have? Make your list of things to be thankful for and you will discover something: what you have far outweighs what you have lost! If it doesn’t, then you are focusing too much on yourself and the things of this world. Lift your eyes and look around. Pray for a thankful heart. Ask God to open your eyes so that you can see your blessings! Make your list and you will begin to thrive in the resurrection.

Second, Don’t waste or overlook this season of silence. We live in a noisy and busy world — if it’s quiet and still for a while, take it in. Silence helps us to hear our thoughts — and to hear from God. Jesus fasted alone for forty days in the wilderness just prior to launching His public ministry. Just before the crucifixion he spent time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. By doing so, He demonstrated that there is value in quiet and stillness and aloneness. Read Matthew 4:1-11 and Matthew 26:36-36.

This pandemic has created a very unusual time that may never come again. What does God want to accomplish in you? Embrace the silence. God may have something to say, or something to show you. Elijah discovered that God isn’t in the noise. In I Kings 19:11-13 we read,

Then He said (to Elijah), “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” It was in the silence that God had something to say.

My friends, the world is strangely silent, but it is in the quiet that God’s still small voice can be heard. Are you willing to listen?

In the silence following the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter took some of the disciples fishing. When Jesus first found him, Peter was a professional fisherman. But when Jesus called Peter to be a “fisher of men”, Peter walked away from his boat and his nets. For the next three years Peter’s life was filled with noise: disciples, crowds, miracles, hosannas!

Now, in the silence, Peter tries to create some noise with fishing. Why? Because the silence was killing him. All he could hear was his guilt — and the sound of that awful rooster?

And then Jesus’ voice broke the silence. The story that follows in John 21 is beautiful and quiet and intimate — and redemptive and healing! But let’s be careful to not miss the fact that John 21 happens in the midst of silence.

Today, our world is silent — at least if we will allow it. Maybe God is calling on us to listen. Take one hour and do nothing. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t listen to anything. Turn off the noise and just sit quietly in an undistracted place and listen. Take a pen and a notepad and write down thoughts that come to your mind.

My friends, it won’t be easy. Without noise, you will be able to hear your thoughts. Like Peter, you may hear failure and guilt — we all have our own roosters. But as you continue to listen, you will also hear the still small voice of your Savior as He calls you toward forgiveness, restoration and purpose. It was in the silence that Peter was redeemed. Who knows, maybe God has ordained this quiet moment to do the same for you.

Third, look for opportunities. Every crisis creates new opportunities, we just have to be willing to see them. Are you looking? Seeing opportunity in crisis requires selflessness and courage. In other words, stop worrying about yourself and look for people who are worse off than you. When you’re willing to see their struggle, you will see how you can make a difference — and that’s opportunity! Look around, opportunities abound! In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan — a man who took his eyes of himself and helped someone else. This may be a good time to read that story again. Then, think of people worse off than you. Make another list.

If you can’t think of any, then you have been focusing too much on yourself. There is a hurting world out there — a world that needs your love and compassion and generosity. Thriving in the resurrection requires selflessness and courage. Jesus described it as “taking up your cross daily”. Paul said we must “offer our bodies as living sacrifices”. What are some ways that you can help the people on your list. These are opportunities! Begin serving others and you will thrive in the resurrection!