In a matter of days, the Coronavirus has went from an illness that might impact our lives to something that has gripped many in the world with fear and uncertainty. Whether or not this continues to spread, it has already impacted many people I know financially, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Today a coworker announced that they now know someone personally who has been infected. How should this impact us as believers? How should we react? These are good questions, and ones that many in the church need to consider.
The scripture today will come from Philippians 4, beginning in verse 4 and going through verse 9.
Philippians 4:4 (NET) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! 5 Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near! 6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. 9 And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
The Bible says many times to "Fear not!", and we are reminded over and over that God is the Almighty. It's not uncommon for us as believers to get caught up in the hysteria of a world event that is garnering as much attention as the Coronavirus is. Even isolating individual components, whether it is the stock market crashing, store shelves being empty, or businesses being forced to close can cause much worry in the population. Let me give you one truth you can be assured of though: If you are a believer, you have nothing to worry about. If you are not a believer, you should be very worried. This is not just true today though - it is true every day. Does this mean believers will not become sick because of the Coronavirus, or perhaps even die? No, not at all. But believers have an assurance greater than anything this life has to offer.
The passage from in Philippians reminds us that we should always be rejoicing in the Lord. This applies in the good times and in the bad times. Because of His overwhelming greatness, we can approach all things without anxiety or worry - He is much bigger than the Coronavirus or anything else you might face. That doesn't mean we shouldn't bring our concerns to God though - these verses make it clear that we are to bring our concerns and cares to Him, but, in doing that, we can have peace that He is in control. His peace will guard us. From there, we can focus on those things that are true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or praiseworthy.
Make this your daily challenge - find at least ten things today that fit in those categories: things that are true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or praiseworthy.
Finally, and this is the crux of what I have to say today, Paul says, "And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you." We are in unprecedented times, and to paraphrase Mordecai's statement to Esther, It may very well be that you have been placed here for such a time as this! The church has a great opportunity that is being presented to it right now. How will we handle this? Will we show the light of God to the world, or will we cower in fear? Will we meet the needs of our less fortunate neighbors - those who are laid off, sick, or hungry? We don't know what all the opportunities we have are, but this can range from something as small as an encouraging word, to delivery of food, payment of utilities, and maybe even caring for the sick. In all our cases we should be listening to the Spirit of God and following His lead. Folks, there is nothing in the Bible telling you to be reckless, and, as such, you should be sensible and care for your own health and the health and well-being of your family, but, and this is a big but, we are called to do the Lord's work, and turning our back on a world in need is the exact opposite of shining His light. That may mean you are to directly reach out to those who are sick or who will be sick.
I want to be clear: I am not fearful of the Coronavirus or the impact it may have on the world, nor should you be. But I am respectful of the potential impact. Even so, I recognize that my future is not this world, and because of that, I will choose to focus on the things that are true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or praiseworthy. I will also be listening to God for my chance to shine His light into this world, and I recommend all believers do the same.
I want to thank you for reading. This is a serious topic, but it is a topic we should all pay attention to. Be safe out there, take care, and until next time, love like Him, live for Him, and reflect His light into this world.
Noble Bereans is dedicated to not only sharing the word of God, but asking Christians to dig deeper into the Bible, seek God, and reflect His love into the world.
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