Focusing on Fear
My email inbox was even fuller than usual this morning, and a single word occupied nearly every subject line—coronavirus. Stores were reminding me of the efforts they’re taking to keep contagion at a minimum by practicing reasonable sanitary efforts throughout their stores. Online businesses were telling me what a good time it was to be online because I could avoid personal contact with anyone who may be sick or carrying the disease. Other businesses were informing me of changes to their regular hours or means of operation due to travel limitations and such. And on and on the list went, each one a reminder of the latest, greatest epidemic to hit mankind—or at least, that’s what the media would have us think.
My heart aches for those who are sick and for those who have lost loved ones because of the coronavirus, but our world is genuinely blowing this out of proportion. Did you know the Spanish flu of 1918 infected 500 million people worldwide and killed somewhere between 20-50 million? But the limited media coverage of the times kept the entire world from being in an uproar. The CDC claims the common flu killed over 60,000 people in 2018, but the world didn’t come to a standstill then. Why? I believe it’s because the flu has become a common thing. It’s nothing new. We’ve had the flu and will continue to have the flu for as long as we remain on this earth, no doubt. But the coronavirus? That’s something new. And scary. And unpredictable. And a great source for fear.
Have you ever noticed one of Satan’s most effective tools is fear? After all, when we’re afraid, we’re easy to control. Don’t believe me? Look around. The media says, “Don’t leave your homes,” so people are canceling all their plans and boarding themselves up. The news reports, “This will be the worst economic crisis in years,” so people withdraw their funds and stash them away for safe-keeping, making the economic crisis a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we’re scared, we look for safety and guidance, and unfortunately, we often fail to regard where that “help” is coming from. Fear is a powerful weapon, and it has the power to destroy us.
Interestingly enough, I just read yesterday about a character in the Bible who recognized his enemy’s ploys to make him afraid and responded with wisdom and courage. In fact, this Bible great is becoming one of my favorites. His name is Nehemiah.
From the very beginning of his work on the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah faced opposition. One particular trio—Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem—fought Nehemiah and his work day and night. Determined to prevent the rebuilding of the wall, they used every weapon in their arsenal. They tried distraction, and when that didn’t work, they tried lies. That didn’t work either, so they threatened to attack. Still, their efforts were in vain, and in chapter six of the book of Nehemiah, we see the wall completed except for setting the gates in place.
At this point, the enemy was furious, so they struck out again to keep the work from completion. This time, their tactic was fear. Check out the following verses:
“Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. ”
“Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. ”
“Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. ”
Nehemiah recognized what the enemy was trying to do. They were trying to stir up fear within his heart and the hearts of the people because people who are afraid are easy to control. These wicked men wanted to make themselves big in the eyes of the people. They bullied and harassed, trying to evoke panic.
Fortunately, the people had a competent leader who knew how to handle bullies. Each time the enemy attacked, Nehemiah examined the means and method, dismissed it as a scare tactic, then prayed to God for strength, wisdom, and even revenge against those who were threatening God’s people and God’s work. He didn’t panic. He didn’t quit. And he didn’t let the people blow things out of proportion. He took the problem to God.
That being said, I also want to point out that Nehemiah took action against other threats. While he had faith God would protect them, he also had enough common sense to take precautions. He set up a watch around the wall so that the people could be alerted at the first sign of trouble. He instructed the people to be armed and ready at all times. They even slept in their clothes, so they could be ready to fight should the enemy attack during the night. In other words, he wasn’t careless. And we shouldn’t be either.
Yes, it’s always a good idea to practice good hygiene. Please wash your hands and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. If you’re sick, stay home and recover. Take your vitamins. Eat right. Exercise. Employ good habits—the habits we’ve been taught since we were in kindergarten. Be wise and take the proper precautions. That’s not faithlessness. It’s just good sense, just like Nehemiah exhibited.
But, we should also mimic Nehemiah’s faith in God and reaction to those who tried to stir up fear. We mustn’t allow the media to have us in such a panic that we cease to be effective in our daily walk. We can’t let fear run our lives or ruin our testimony. We each have a work to do, and we can’t do it if our knees are knocking and our heads are buried in the sand. I dare say we would do better to spend less time watching the news and more time reading God’s Word.
The enemy is trying to get us to focus on our fear. Let’s focus on Christ instead. He is the Great Physician. He is the Healer. He is the Remedy. He can right every wrong and mend every broken heart. Let’s look to Him!
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”