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The danger of rose-tinted spectacles

I’d be happy if only 

…I could meet up with my friends for coffee.

…the children were back at school.

…I could hop on a plane and have a sunshine holiday.

…my work was back to normal.

…we didn’t have to worry about masks and social distancing.

Covid-19 really has messed life up, hasn’t it? While some have suffered big, life-changing losses, most of us have simply been worn down by the accumulation of minor disruptions to everyday life. The benefits of living a less-frantic lifestyle, which we clung to in the early days of the pandemic, have become threadbare and worn out. No matter how much we’ve tried to adjust and embrace the changes, there are things we are all longing to return to.

Remember those days pre-Covid when we could stroll through a shop any direction we pleased? When we could hug friends and family instead of treating everyone as if they were infectious? And when we could book a plane trip to anywhere in the world without fear of being locked in a room on our return? Those were the best days!

But were they? 

You’ve heard of rose-tinted spectacles. This metaphorical eyewear filters out the negatives of a situation and highlight the positives, and it’s particularly powerful when gazing either backwards or forwards.

Let’s look back a couple of years. Were we blissfully happy then? Compared to how things are now, it might seem that we were, but if we really stop to think about it, we’d have to admit that life certainly wasn’t always smooth and pleasant.

What about the future? It’s tempting to believe that when things get back to normal, we will be happy and content. Of course, I’m not denying for one moment that the restoration of certain privileges will make a huge difference to our wellbeing – the restrictions we’ve faced will likely have a negative impact on many people for years to come. But there’s a danger that we’re pinning all our hopes for happiness on something that we don’t have right now.

It’s not a new concept. “I would be happy if only I had…” We’ve all said it. You can fill in the blank for yourself. A relationship, more money, certain experiences… Maybe we got what we wished for, but then discovered that it didn’t fulfil us the way we’d expected.

We know that we can only be truly satisfied when we find our satisfaction in God. People, possessions, experiences, even certain freedoms – valuable and enjoyable as they may be – will never bring joy and satisfaction in themselves. We shouldn’t expect them to. If we do, we will always be disappointed.

The same applies to our hopes and dreams for a post-Covid world. It’s perfectly understandable and normal to long for the day when we can move around unrestricted and without fear, when we can have proper physical contact with others again, and have dependable routines unhampered by lockdown. But if we believe that the route to happiness is in regaining these freedoms, I fear we’ll be sorely disappointed and no better off than we are right now. 

So as we look, in the will of God, to a brighter future, let’s remove those rose-tinted spectacles for a clearer view. Life wasn’t perfect pre-Covid, and it won’t be perfect post-Covid either. True joy and real satisfaction have never come from external surroundings anyway. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only source, and He will never change.

Jesus Christ: whom having not seen ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

1 Peter 1:7,8

He satisfieth the longing soul.

Psalm 107:9

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