What I learned from having Covid-19

Langdon Montgomery Jan. 23, 2021

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I'm over 65 with heart and asthma problems. So why did I go to a wedding and expose myself to Covid-19? Family pressure and lack of resolve. Two weeks later, I contracted the coronavirus. A few days after that my oxygen levels dropped and I ended up in the hospital for five days with pneumonia and COVID-19. Thankfully, I survived. However, it hasn't been easy. Nor has it felt like a spiritual experience that I would have anticipated. So here are the things I learned that may be of help to others.

Take Covid-19 seriously.Don't let your guard (or your mask) down. If I had stood firm and refused to go the wedding, I probably wouldn't have gotten sick. Up until then I had been very diligent by wearing my mask and avoiding crowds. Proverbs 2:11 says, "Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." If I had been more discrete, perhaps I would not have gotten sick.

Go to the doctor sooner than later.I began to have trouble breathing, a slight chill and coughing. So why did I stay home for several days and try to gut it out? "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.^"(Prov.16:18). Consult with a medical provider as soon as you have symptoms.

God will bring you through this sickness (hopefully), but it won't be easy.I found that serious, potentially life-threatening illness tested my spiritual maturity. In short, it brought out the worst in me. I was fractious and irritable with my wife and put too many demands on her. I complained often and expected her to coddle me. (I am not a very good patient!) So, don't be surprised if you're not as spiritual as you had hoped. "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). Staying positive and trusting the Lord will make it easier on everyone around you.

Give yourself grace and permission to rest. Covid-19 requires a longer period of rest and recovery. Because of my comorbidities (pre-existing health issues), it took much longer to recover. The doctor said I needed approximately a month to begin to feel better. (I eventually discovered he was exactly right!) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Prov. 3:5,6). As I lay in bed day after day in the hospital, I had to patiently trust that I was getting better. I learned to rejoice and be satisfied with incremental improvements.

There are godly advantages to being sick that we often overlook."My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees." (Psalm 119:71). Being seriously ill made me cling to the Lord all the more. It also caused me to be thankful for my loved ones and to reach out to them and tell them how much I loved them. It gave me an urgent motivation to strengthen weak relationships by taking action to be with those I had ignored or avoided.

I hope you do not get the COVID-19 virus. But if you do, take it seriously and know it won't be easy. But God will use it to teach you to trust Him more and to love those around you more intentionally.

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Langdon Montgomery has served as pastor in several churches over 25 years. He now serves as a hospice chaplain and resides in Hampton Roads. He has a Masters of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and has taught three courses at Regent in their Continuing Education and Professional Development Department focused on leadership and preaching. He coaches pastors through Ministry Leadership Coaching, Learn More »

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