I know in my heart that Father called me to be a writer, not of fiction but only truth; as he reveals it to me. It is my habit to meet with him in the pre-dawn hours to discover the message for the day. Some days, like yesterday, I struggle to hear clearly. Today Father made it much more obvious through the words he gave to Paul ao many years ago: “Remind people to submit to the government and its officials, to obey them, to be ready to do any honorable kind of work to slander no one, to avoid quarreling, to be friendly and to behave gently towards everyone.” (Titus 3:1-2) Those words were written for a troubled world nearly 2,000 years ago but they continue to be just as relevant today.

Submit to the government…we don’t like to submit to anyone and some people choose to prove that by retaliation. They will go against any order given just to prove they can, giving little or no thought to the consequence, which may prove to be harsher than they expected.

Be ready to do any honorable kind of work. Are you laid off from your job? What can you find to do besides watching T.V.? Perhaps you can sew much-needed masks. Call someone who is stuck home alone feeling forgotten. Write a note and put it in the mailbox to brighten someone’s day. Help a child learn something new.

Slander no one–there’s a challenge for most of us. Take time to really listen to yourself. Many times we don’t even realize the words we use and how others hear them. Do your words shine a bright light on the goodness of others or do you want to be in the spotlight? You never stand taller than when you are lifting another.

Avoid quarreling. Everyone would find more peace in life if we could just learn to not have to have the last word.

Be friendly and behave gently toward everyone. Our attitudes will make a huge difference in how we weather this storm. Treat others as if you appreciate them. We truly are all in this together, every day. But we are not alone. Father holds the whole world in his hands and he was, is, and will be, in control. Live and love on purpose.