As most readers are well aware, the world is recoiling under the weight of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. The World Health Organization is considering upgrading the virus to an official pandemic, depending on the efficacy of containment measures.
The actual mortality and transmission rates of the virus remain unknown. However, it certainly is capable of taking life. What’s more, even if the coronavirus turns out to be a tempest in a teapot, the Bible promises future plagues (Rev. 6:8) that put this virus to shame. So the potential of death by sickness is very real.
A quick walk through Costco will reveal how the world is dealing with this potentiality. Everywhere basic supplies are in massive demand. Rice, toilet paper, bottled water, and canned foods are sold out. Shoppers walk through the store with hollow eyes, listening for a dry cough from passersby.
But how should Christians respond?
Life and Death are in God’s Hands
The first reminder that faith must embrace is that life and death are in the hands of God. The Bible tells us clearly that the days of our lives are numbered before even one of them existed. The future manner, date, and time of your death are already determined by God Himself.
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;And in Your book were all writtenThe days that were ordained for me,When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:16)
Simply put, you are absolutely invincible until God decides to take you home to be with Himself. At that moment, no amount of hand sanitizer, face masks, or stocked canned foods will protect you.
John Paton, missionary to the cannibals in the New Hebrides, faced sickness and potential death frequently. Of his constant dangers he said, “Life in such circumstances led me to cling very near to the Lord Jesus; I knew not, for one brief hour, when or how attack might be made; and yet, with my trembling hand clasped in the hand once nailed on Calvary, and now swaying the scepter of the universe, calmness and peace and resignation abode in my soul.”
Preparedness is Good, Fear is Bad
Second, there is nothing wrong with being prepared for potential needs. Having an extra packet of toilet paper, a case of bottled water, or hand sanitizer are all wonderful ideas.
However, there is a great danger in fear. When the dangers of this life lead Christians into anxiety and fear, joy and trust in Jesus declines. Paul commanded the Christians in Philippi to ‘be anxious for nothing’ (Phil 4:6-7) with the added statement that God’s peace would keep their hearts and minds ‘in Christ Jesus.’
When fear begins to take hold, and the ‘what if’s’ of the coronavirus (or any other malady) come to mind, the knowledge of God’s sovereignty and love must win the day. Where fear and anxiety take hold, true worship and communion are lost, joy evaporates, and God is no longer glorified.
Preach the Gospel
Finally, when fear grips a society, the Christian’s hope in Christ shines brightest. History testifies that godly believers have had great Gospel work during times of sickness. Whether Charles Spurgeon during the cholera outbreak in London, or Martin Luther during the black plague in Wittenberg, the Lord has empowered believers to walk in faith in the midst of fear.
During these times, as the world walks through the valley of the shadow of death, Christians who have submitted their fears to Christ can speak boldly of hope in the Gospel. They can smile while the world lives in terror. They can love and serve when others flee.
And in these moments, we must be ready to ‘make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope’ that we have (1 Peter 3:15). What is the defense of our hope?
That Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and that He is our loving Savior. To live is to serve Him, and to die is to be with Him—our greatest gain.
Praying for you to walk in faith in Christ, and to love during this time of fear in the way that He loves us. My others see our good works, and glorify our Father in heaven.
