No Spirit of Panic
2 Timothy 1:7
Introduction.
On Wednesday this past week, the W.H.O. declared a global pandemic concerning COVID-19, also known as the Wuhan or Novel Coronavirus.
There has been a media frenzy over this virus.
But the truth is, the media love to tell you about things that are “frightening”: viruses, wars, snow storms, hurricanes, climate change, immigrants, etc.
Politicians love to prey on our fears, too—anything for the votes.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take some of these things seriously, but it is something we should be aware of.
They’ll hype up the worst case scenario to keep you watching or get your vote.
In truth, I’m more worried about our overreaction—have you tried getting toilet paper lately?
I’m afraid that, at least to my mind, the media & politicians have cried “wolf” far too many times.
I just don’t have enough energy to panic every time someone cries, “Wolf!”
Maybe that’s the right way to look at it, maybe not—maybe this time it’s serious.
Sometimes hurricanes, for instance, are super serious—take Katrina in 2005.
That’s what keeps us on edge, because maybe, just maybe this time.
Pandemics of the recent past—should we panic this time?
The last global epidemic was the Zika virus, which we were concerned about since there was a connection to certain birth defects in utero, Victoria was pregnant with Caroline, it could be transmitted through intimate contact, mosquitoes were a huge problem where we lived, and we were in SC at the time as it was making its way to the Palmetto State—thankfully, as you can see, Caroline is fine.
Before that it was Ebola, but that was stamped out outside of Africa pretty quickly.
Before that it was the swine flu, or H1N1. I do know someone who died from that. She was older, but healthier than I am.
Diseases like these should be taken seriously, and we all should take precautions, but should we panic?
Preview.
Pray, don’t panic.
Live your life, cautiously.
Heaven’s hope.
Body.
Pray, don’t panic.
We have often dealt with worry and anxiety from the pulpit.
There are many things in this world that we are worried about.
Most of them don’t make national news or become a global crisis.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat them just the same.
Jesus told us not to worry—we might read that as not to panic.
“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matt. 6:27).
We should worry about what’s right in front of us, about today’s worries: “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34).
Of course, that’s always easier said than done.
Here’s one way we can remedy that for ourselves: get only what you need from the store.
I see all over social media how the shelves are bare.
Victoria went to the grocery store on Friday and saw it for herself.
So many people are making fun of others who are hoarding toilet paper, but somebody is doing it.
Let us not panic, but pray.
We also talk about prayer often (Phil. 4:6-7).
When VP Pence was asked to help deal with the COVID-19 situation, there was a picture that went viral of him and his team praying.
Some of my FB friends mocked the VP and his team for this; one shared a link to a blog with the headline: “Pence Team Tries to Pray Away Coronavirus.”
You know me, I try not to get into political arguments on social media because I feel like it will hurt more than help, but I couldn’t help it this time.
Knowing he was not a believer, I responded: “If this is not all they’re doing, would this still be wrong?”
Yes, being in the position they are in, if they have the ability to do something about this outbreak, they should by all means do it.
But petitioning the Almighty for His help only takes a moment and can only help matters—I, for one, am grateful.
I didn’t get a response from him, but if I had, I would have gone on to say just that.
We, too, should pray to the One with all power and might (Heb. 4:16).
“Worry is a prayer to the wrong god.”
When I mentioned this sermon topic to Sam, he gave me this quote by Jack Exum.
Another FB friend, a Christian, posted something else that fits.
“The world’s confidence has been shaken in their idol gods.”
“The idol god of self has been exposed as being unable to stand in the face of a virus. The world’s confidence in self has been rattled. Where will they turn? They cannot continue to rely upon self during such a time as this.”
He goes on to condemn the idol god of money and wealth since the stock market is tanking. Their lack of confidence is rattling the markets.
He goes on to condemn the idol god of sports since many sports games have been canceled. Don’t some people place sports over serving God?
Then he goes on to encourage us to show the world that we serve the God that controls all that.
If we are His children He will take care of us.
Recall, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
Live your life, cautiously.
So if we aren’t to panic, what should we do?
Go about your life.
Does that mean we should live like this virus doesn’t exist? No.
It does exist, it’s a problem, and that’s a fact.
Keeping in mind I’m no medical professional, we should all take appropriate precautions.
Let us not panic, but pray … and prepare.
I posted on the church’s FB page that we aren’t planning to cancel our services, but we do ask people to practice common sense hygiene.
Truth is, the thing about common sense is that it’s not so common.
Basically, wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitizer—we have plenty here so use it! And don’t touch your face.
Wear a mask if you need to and can find one.
Limit shaking hands and hugging.
Do what you can to minimize the risk of catching it.
Self-quarantine if you need to. We are live streaming today for those who have chosen to do just that.
And it may come to canceling services. If that happens, I plan to live stream something on Sundays, and perhaps Wednesdays, from home.
Every day “risky” behaviors.
I have in my mind a risk assessment mechanism.
What is the risk?
Is the activity worth the risk?
Is the risk large enough for me to do something about it?
What can I do to mitigate the risk?
I do this with my kids all the time (e.g. walking on the sidewalk).
Driving—the odds of your dying in a car accident is 1 in 103.
That’s high, but it doesn’t stop us from driving.
They improve car safety features every year, and we take precautions as well.
Don’t be a distracted driver, wear your seatbelt, etc.
Walking down the street—we’re not going to do that in a bad neighborhood and shout out how much cash we’re carrying in our wallet, flashing $100 bills.
Christ calls us to be “wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
This is in the context of evangelism, but it can apply in many circumstances.
If we must walk down the street in a bad neighborhood, we will be prepared or at least not call undue attention to ourselves.
There are so many things we do to prepare for hard times.
Panic? No. Prepare? Yes!
Heaven’s hope.
Even with all our precautions, we may still get it.
That is a reality we all must face.
The good news is, based on the numbers, we probably won’t die.
The risks do increase, however, with age and other factors—again, not a doctor.
But we must weigh the risk factors and decide:
Is it worth the risk?
What can I do to mitigate the risk both of catching it and spreading it to others?
I said earlier that God will take care of us—that’s true even if we contract it, even if we die.
If we contract it, let us be comforted by the thought of heaven our home.
A few weeks ago, we discussed where our true citizenship is (Phil. 3:20).
We also stated that many of the cares of this life fade away when we truly realize this.
“This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.”
This includes illnesses and their mortality rate.
I don’t know what heaven will be like—oh we have pictures of it in the Bible, but I’m sure they pale in comparison to the reality.
How many times did Jesus and the Apostles try to describe spiritual matters to their listeners and readers that were beyond them, especially at the time without the whole of Scripture revealed yet? (Rom. 6:19a).
But I do know that it’s a far better place than here—no suffering, no pain, no sin.
Sam read a brief description of what heaven will be like on Wednesday from Rev. 21.
The greatest joy I think there will be: that’s where our Lord lives, and we’ll get to see Him and know it was all worth it.
“Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
People often talk about being reunited with loved ones, and I’m sure that will be nice, but my eyes are looking for Him.
Conclusion.
As Americans in the 21st century, we get so complacent sometimes.
Under normal circumstances, we have a reasonable certainty of what tomorrow will hold.
Only occasionally do we receive news that could change our lives forever.
But that sense of complacency is not peculiar to this day and age.
James dealt with that, too (James 4:13-16).
If you are a Christian, baptized for the remission of your sins, living a faithful life, you have nothing to fear (Psa. 56:3-4).
Remember, He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7).
If you need to become a Christian …
If you are a Christian …
I will leave you with this somewhat lengthy quote from C. S. Lewis that I found.
He lived around WW2 at the dawn of the atomic age.
Back then there was great fear over what that would mean for their lives, their future.
It’s not unlike the fears we have over this novel coronavirus.
In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”
In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.
Pray, take precautions, trust in Him.
But before that, you need to get right with Him—do that today.