Fear vs. faith

Three days ago I tidied my office. Despite living in far north Queensland small-town Mareeba, mercifully virus-free, not knowing anybody first hand who was sick, the constant news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world had become almost too much to bear. I couldn’t put my finger on why I had become so affected to the point where I had lost enthusiasm for doing pretty much anything. I wasn’t able to concentrate on anything more than sorting old paperwork into piles for filing or disposal. So in an effort to be at least a little bit productive, that’s what I did.

That evening I watched a sermon by Alwyn Wall, senior pastor at Calvary Chapel London.

“You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”

Those words in Matthew 8 leapt off the page. It was as if Jesus was speaking directly to me. Not in frustration, but tenderly.

What was I afraid of? I don’t know. My own chances of catching this thing are, at present, incredibly low. The community here is essentially its own ‘bubble’. I don’t know anyone personally, anywhere in the world, who has been infected. And even if I did contract it, I’m enough of an optimist to hope that I’d be in the 80% who would have mild symptoms.

I remember feeling unsettled like this once before: during major restructuring that we had in my previous job about 7 years ago. I was unable to concentrate on anything because of the uncertainty of what lay ahead in the future. And this is what is affecting all of us now - seeing our entire way of life, the illusion of security that we had, suddenly stripped away. For those living in NZ, in less than a fortnight we’ve gone from making jokes about toilet paper and watching sporting matches being played in empty stadiums, to the borders being closed and the entire country being placed in lockdown.

I wasn’t living in Christchurch during the earthquakes and the aftermath thereof, but I know plenty of people who were. Many chose to leave the city and move somewhere else where things were ‘normal’. But that isn’t an option for us now - this is a worldwide issue; no-one can escape from it. There is nowhere to run.

Let’s be honest - the entire future is uncertain. Where once people were planning where they would take their next holiday, now they don’t know when they’ll be able to find work again or how they’ll afford basic necessities in the meantime. Our self-sufficiency has been rocked to the core. What we were depending on to support us has been suddenly revealed to be smoke and mirrors.

“Why are you so afraid?”

Because I don’t know what is going to happen next. Because I don’t like not being in control...

There, in that moment, my perspective completely changed. I never was in control of my life. I only thought I was. There is only One who is in control - and He still is. Nothing about this situation has caught God by surprise. He knew all along that it was coming. And He knows where it will end up.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(Ps 46:1-3, 10-11)

If we focus on the situation around us, we will become crippled by fear. Life as we know it has changed completely, and we are still reeling from how quickly it’s happened. This is why it’s so important to remind ourselves of things that never change - things about God and His Word.

Here are four things that, as Christians, we can stand upon:

1. God is omniscient (all-knowing). He knew this was coming; He knew how it would affect you. More than that, He knows what will happen in the future.

2. God is omnipresent (ever-present). He is with you always. He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He has been with you through the good times, and now He continues to be with you in the bad times.

3. God is omnipotent (all-powerful). He created the entire world in six days. If He wanted to, He could just speak the word and the virus would disappear and all who are sick would be healed instantly. But it appears He is choosing not to. God’s inaction does not mean He is unable to do anything. Rather, it means He has a greater purpose that He is accomplishing. Perhaps this is a wake-up call for a world that has rejected Him, letting them know it’s not too late to repent and be saved. We know that God does not like to see people suffer; but He is also more concerned about their eternal salvation than their temporal comfort.

4. God loves you. He is your Father and you are His child.

 

Like the disciples in the midst of the storm, if we focus on the situation around us, we will only have fear. But faith comes when we focus on Jesus. He will get us through.

If you’re reading this and you know you don’t have a relationship with God, now is your opportunity. The Bible says that God wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).

Sin is what keeps us separated from God. There are two aspects to this: the innate nature we are born with, and the wilful acts we commit. To ‘sin’ means to miss the mark, and given that God’s standard is perfection, we have all fallen short (Rom. 3:23). We don’t deserve anything from God, only death (Rom. 6:23). This is why God provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him that does not depend on our own goodness. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world as a human to live a perfect life, and die on the cross. Here’s the amazing thing: God accepted Jesus’ death as payment for our sins. He promises that if we believe this truth, we will be reborn spiritually and reconciled to God.

Here’s a prayer you can use:

Lord God, I know that I am a sinner. I have failed to live up to Your standards and I have deliberately sinned against other people and against You.

I don’t want to live like that anymore.

I believe Jesus died on the cross for me, in my place. I believe that through His death and resurrection, all of my sins were paid for. Thank You Lord for forgiving me.

Please make me a new person from the inside out. Right now, I give You control of my life.

Help me to know You more and to live in a way that pleases You.

Thank You for loving me so much that You would do this for me.