Living in Fear
I wrote this article 11 years ago and if you replace H1N1 with COVID-19, it is eerily applicable…
As I write this article, we have been inundated with information about a so-called pandemic labeled H1N1 or the “swine flu”. Several people have died in the United States from this disease. We have had dozens of government agencies working overtime to get information out and to help us to understand just how catastrophic this disease has become. Additionally, people are constantly being warned about the economic crisis that has struck our nation. Our president blames it on the previous one and the previous administration is saying it is not their fault. Everyone is spending more time playing the blame game than in working on the problem. are losing homes, businesses are laying off, stress is at an all time high…sounds bleak, doesn’t it? Does it?
There are several things that work together in this to cause people to panic when it simply does not need to be. First, we need to be smart enough not to believe everything we hear. Each of us needs to be like the Bereans when it comes to scripture. We also need to be like the sons of Issachar when exegeting and understanding our situation and culture. The Bereans took the scriptures that were being proclaimed by Paul and studied them to make sure he was being truthful. (Acts 17:10-15) We need to not just swallow the whole line of the media, our co-workers, the internet, or any of the so-called “experts”. We need to study and know the facts about what is being declared. For instance, the word “pandemic” is designed to cause fear and panic. To be pandemic, the disease needs to have spread not only among individuals, but among populations and across geographic boundaries as well and be out of control and raging. I am not saying that we should be unconcerned, but simply that we do not need to panic. The Maker of our bodies can certainly handle anything that comes to ravage those bodies.
Second, like the Sons of Issachar, we need to be able to understand the times in which we live. (1 Chronicles 12:32) It might seem strange to describe people that were going to war as those who understood their times, but anyone can fight. Those that understand their enemy, their terrain, their requirements, their limitations, and their allegiances are those who will prevail. These men were crucial to success. You and I need to be aware of what the enemy of our souls is up to. He wants to distract, discourage, discredit, and depress us until we give up. Since we know he comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), we should recognize what he is doing and take our concerns to God instead (Philippians 4:6).
Third, we need to know where our strength and help comes from. (Psalm 121 and 123) By placing our faith in Christ, we need not fear all of the craziness of our world because this is not our home. (See Matthew 10:24-39) Instead, we should humble ourselves before almighty God and focus on Him. Many Christians live as though the main goal of their lives is retirement. We live as though the main goal of our lives is our comfort and convenience. The last I checked, we came into this world with nothing and will leave it the same way. (Job 1:21) Because we have gotten confused about where our security comes from, we are easily swayed when that security is shaken. This ought not be.
Lastly, not only do we need to not believe everything we hear, not only do we need to study and know what is going on in our world, not only do we need to remember where our strength and help come from, but we also need to get serious about the mission we are here to carry out. Many Christians live lives that are not holy. Now, I don’t mean perfect or completely without sin, but many of us do not live lives that are any different than those that do not know Christ. One of the ways that this manifests itself is in how we spend our time and what we do with our lives, talents, treasures and even our tempers. If we would get serious about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), we would have a lot less time to spend gossiping about what is going on in the world. We would have less time and less incentive to spend time listening to all the voices that compete for our attention. If we got serious about being on the front lines of winning our world to Christ, who knows, we just might impact our world in such a way that even others would be able to stop listening to the panic as well. Is it time to panic? No. But it sure is time to focus and get serious!