Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Be afraid, be very afraid. This is the grave message that has pummeled us for the last twelve weeks or so. The Corona Virus is out to get you and the only responsible thing to do is to cower in terror in your house. No matter what you think of the situation most of the world finds itself in being motivated by fear, This is a dangerous place to be. Exercising caution is a reasonable and prudent thing to do. However, the motivating message we have heard on the news, from our politicians and a number of medical experts is that of fear. Fear you will be infected and die or fear that you will infect someone else and their death is your fault alone. If you do not obey the message of fear you are selfish, hateful and rebellious. None of those qualities are Godly so just go home and try to sedate your fear with some entertaining distraction.

I have witnessed an almost irrational fear in some folks at grocery stores. Even within the body of Christ there are those who live in fear. God has given us another avenue to follow. In Deuteronomy 31:6 God gives this message to Moses, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Paul gives Timothy a similar message, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (1 Timothy 1:7). It is not difficult to find Scriptures telling us not to fear. The only fear we are to have is a reverential fear of the Lord. 1 Samuel 12:24, "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you." Being cautious is a responsible way to respond to a crisis, any crisis, be it health, military, or terrorist threat. However, responding in fear rather than trust in the God of creation is one step away from forsaking the God who delivers you.

Responses to life's issues always have consequences. Responding in fear is no different. John warns us that fear negates love. 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." Loving God also means trusting Him. The God Who did not withhold His only Son for our salvation is One we can love and trust in return. We need not live in fear. Notice the danger of fear. "Fear has or holds torment". The Greek word is only used one other time in Scripture, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" found in Matthew 25:46. John uses the same word for everlasting torment or punishment for one who succumbs to the trap of fear. Fear robs us of life and love.

When I was in eighth grade my American history teacher approached our history with a blend of sociology, history, cultural anthropology, and philosophy. History was based in a culture and influenced by one's philosophical approach to life. America had a blending of cultures and its founding drew from the works of John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, and even Plato. The one principle I somehow hung onto was this statement. "Fear destroys freedom." If Columbus had been ruled by fear there would have been no new world. If the pilgrims or Sir Walter Raleigh had lived in fear there would be no Massachusetts or North Carolina. Fear would have kept the colonies under the tyranny of Great Britain. The settlers would not have moved west and much of what we enjoy would never have come to be. Remove fear and we learn to fly, and explore outer space, and find cures to disease. Fear keeps us from sharing the Gospel, being missionaries to foreign lands, teaching a Bible class or even listening to a sick child. Fear is far more destructive than we may realize.

Being aware of the dangers and responding accordingly is a sign of wisdom. God is aware of contagious disease. He instituted regulations for those who were ill or contagious. Leviticus 13 gives the regulations for those with skin ailments, including quarantine, to protect those who were healthy. (Just a note, God does not quarantine healthy people on the basis of fear.)  Keeping those infected at a distance from those who are not is a Biblical principle to protect the community. Leprosy was a horrible, contagious, and sometimes deadly disease. The community needed to be protected. Sometimes, just to be safe, people were isolated until a rash or infection could be verified as contagious or not. It was the best thing to do so that the infection would not spread. Prudent action to help prevent or limit the spread of a disease was part of God's instruction to His people. However, the instructions were not intended to bring fear into the lives of His people. The intent was to bring protection and security.

I do not know your circumstances. I do not know how this current virus has threatened you or your family. However, I do know that the Lord does not want your life filled with anxiety and fear. Perhaps we just need to remember the words of the writer to the Hebrews tells us, "So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Or any pandemic, or government, or whatever the world wants to throw at us. The Lord is always there. I will not be afraid.