Panic! That word describes the reaction of our world to Covid-19. Panic describes why shelves of toilet paper in countless stores are empty. Stockpiling toilet paper might not make much sense, but panic makes sense. The medical community has been unable to stop the spread of this disease. Our best hope is that we can slow down how fast it spreads. For people with certain risk factors, the disease tends to be deadly. We are being confronted with a deadly enemy that we can’t control, so panic makes sense.
Panic makes sense from a human perspective, but God invites His children to have a different response to situations that are outside of our control.
“…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7[1]
It seems like “do not be anxious about anything” is an impossible command during times like this. It would be impossible if we had to depend on our own ability to fix the situation, but God invites us to bring our anxieties to Him in prayer. He invites us to trust Him with our concerns. This does not mean that we bury our heads in the sand and pretend the coronavirus isn’t an issue. It doesn’t mean that we don’t take necessary precautions. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t concerned about protecting our loved ones and ourselves. But it means that in a world of panic, we can have peace, knowing Who is in control.
Peace! That is something that our world does not have right now. Panic describes our world, but peace does not. These verses mention “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” Part of this “peace of God” is having confidence in the face of death. Countless people do not know what will happen to them when they die, so death is a scary thing. We pray that this disease does not result in death for any of us! However, Christians can have peace, even in the face of a deadly disease, because we know that Christ fully paid the punishment for our sins, so that we can live forever with Him.
Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (ESV)
At times like this, people are often more open to talking about spiritual things, because they have questions and are afraid. Please, take time to talk about these things with people around you. Share with them why you don’t fear death. I pray that God will use this time to move many people from panic to peace as they believe in Christ as their Savior.
Our rest is in heaven, our rest is not here Then why should we tremble when trials draw near? Be still and remember the worst that can come But shortens our journey and hastens us home[2]
[1] All Scripture references from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] “Christ our Glory” – song by Nathan Stiff and David Zimmer. ©2019 Sovereign Grace Worship
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