Shall We Live Scared? If Not, Then How?
Think for a moment about a movie that made you scared. What movie would it be? What is the scariest movie you have ever seen? The Strangers? The Exorcist? The Omen? The Shining? Psycho?
What makes you scared of a movie? Is that different for everyone? There are some threads that stimulate fear in most of us. One of those threads is reality. The circumstances must seem real to us. Could this really happen? Could it happen to me?
A second thing that churns our fear is the unknown. How many times have we reflected on a segment of the movie and thought, “Wow! I didn’t see that coming”?
Closely tied to that is another “fear factor,” the element of surprise. It is not only that we do not know that it is that is coming, we don’t know when or how it is going to appear. It takes us off guard; we cannot be prepared.
Once we have become scared, several things begin to happen to us. Physically, we may begin to tremble, sweat, or shake. Our stomachs start feeling a bit queasy. When the scariest, most surprising moment occurs, we may scream out loud! Our emotions are on a roller coaster, moving from calm to excited to wondering to surprising to panic. Our mind struggles to process, wandering from one focal point to another. Our entire being is under convulsions.
Let me throw in a twist that doesn’t normally happen when we are watching a movie at a theater. Let’s say you have been in the movie long enough to be seriously scared at least once, when the theater owner shuts off the movie and says, “That’s all for today. Soon we will let you know when you can watch the next twenty minutes.” Do you remember how you felt at the end of the Avengers’ movie, Infinity War? The movie ended without a resolution and teased you to come back for more. Many people felt dismay and cheated.
Once we have seen the movie, an interesting phenomenon happens. The more we watch the movie, the less scary the movie becomes. We know what is coming. We almost enjoy the movie now – we are experiencing it differently. We admire the creativity and design of the craftsman. But more importantly, we want to show the movie to others, to watch them become scared. We want them to have the same experience.
Today I wanted you to think about this dynamic because I want to make a comparison to what is happening to us – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – because of the coronavirus, COVID-19. I want you to think about what is converging upon you inside.
We know a few things about this disease, but we are uncertain and unsure about most. Our news sources are giving facts that are slightly different, perhaps caused by the ever-changing nature of the statistics and the disease. But each news source offers differing, sometimes contradictory, opinions and interpretations of the statistics. These reflections are often couched in a way that makes them appear as evidence.
Setting aside the health concerns of the disease, most of us have never experienced the reactions we are seeing from governments and individuals. Almost daily people are being told where and when it is allowable to venture out into the public. Policies and procedures are being put into place by a handful of government officials at an unprecedented pace. If you become ill or are diagnosed as having the disease, you are asked to quarantine yourself for two weeks. If you have been exposed to someone who has, you are asked to quarantine. Even if you are healthy and venture out to stores, you are asked to stay at least six feet away from people, and it is very possible the store will be out of stock of the product that you seek.
The status and security of your finances has probably changed. Your job may have laid you off work. A third of the American people are facing unemployment today, many for the very first time. Retirement funds, health benefits and many other niceties of life are evaporating or have vanished. What you have worked years to establish has dissolved in a matter of days or moments.
You are at a point in the movie where you are scared, and it is possible the scariest parts are yet to come.
You are being affected physically, mentally and emotionally by the events. You are on a roller coaster and the ride is not over. You always have choices. Don’t make rash choices in the middle of the ride.
What about your spirituality? We haven’t even thought about that yet! It is difficult to weave a thread of spiritual peace into a tapestry of cultural chaos. Here are a handful of suggestions and observations that may help.
- We need to understand there will always be points at which we are most vulnerable. I have had asthma since I was a preschooler. There are circumstances during which I am at risk for an attack. I would be foolish to smoke cigarettes. Such behavior would place additional burdens on my breathing. When I am at a high elevation, like mountain tops in Colorado, I have difficulty breathing. When I am under emotional stress and pressure, I have difficulty breathing.
At what points in this spiritual battle are you most vulnerable? Are you concerned about the security of your finances? What about the worries of your health? Do bad things make you question the existence of God? Does your temper boil waiting in lines or not finding the toilet paper at the grocery store? Where are you most insecure? You can bet that is where Satan will attack you hardest.
- Our spiritual being is involved in a battle. Beyond our personal circumstances, Satan has been trying to battle God since before our own beginning. Satan has had his sights on God’s throne since early in his existence. The attempts of the devil to over throw God have include God’s most prized creation, man, since the days of Adam and Eve.
Paul tells us that we don’t wrestle just against flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities that are far beyond the reach of man. Whether Satan was involved in the events of life – like the coronavirus – or not is almost immaterial. You can know that he will use those circumstances in any way that he can to cause you to abandon your faith.
- The difference is possession. The words we use are so important in painting the picture that is in our minds. Consider this: when we think of demons – evil spiritual beings, we describe them as “possessing us,” against our will, in spite of our best efforts. In and of itself, that is scary. We don’t use the term about God’s Spirit. When we think of the Holy Spirit, we describe Him “living inside us.” Sounds like an apartment doesn’t it? He might even have to pay rent.
Why is this important? We believe that God comes into our hearts when we invite Him, but we tend to think that the devil hits us over the head when we aren’t looking. He also comes in when we invite him, but we don’t think about what offers the word to “come on in.” Make good decisions right now about your behavior and how you spend your time.
Please remember this. Satan is powerful, but he is limited in his knowledge, in his scope, in his abilities and in his eternal outcome. He is also working against you – wanting to devour you is the way the Bible describes it. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is all-powerful, all-knowing and is working together with you for your benefit and good.
- Guard your quiet time with God. Life runs at a fast pace that makes lots of noise. Do what you can to preserve your ability to be still and know who God is, what He has done for you, and how you can draw closer to Him.
We are in a society of information overload. It touches everything that we do. You need sleep. Turn off your connections to the outside world – television, cell phones, internet – an hour or so before you go to bed. You prepare your body for bed; prepare your mind. Allow it to quietly unwind.
Some people are considering the events of the virus and quoting, “This too shall pass.” The Bible doesn’t actually say things quite this way, but the thought can be an encouraging sentiment. What the Bible actually says is “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17).
- Limit the amount of time you spend saturating yourself with information about the virus. Please don’t misunderstand. I am not suggesting that you be uninformed. But you tithe the time and resources that you give to God. Don’t give Satan any more than you give God. If you spend an hour each day with God, don’t be consumed with the virus information any more than an hour. Be shrewd about where you get your news. You wouldn’t log into satans_sinister_suggestions.com to get the daily news, would you?
Be particular about your sources of information. Find places that are trustworthy and dependable and that don’t feed into your insecurities. Water is good – but you don’t want a flood. The news helps us, don’t let it hurt you.
Read the word of life from the prophet: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 ESV).
Remember – you know what is coming.
Thank you Tom. You know so well that I inherited our mother’s bent toward worry and anxiety. These past few weeks have certainly taken a toll. I keep it to myself since I’ve had BJ full time since schools have closed. I will heed your wise words. I’m putting it in God’s hands. Pray that I can curb my anxieties through prayer and turning off the news. I get sucked in to watching it far too much. Thanks for these words of encouragement.
You are much more like Dad in many ways. You were around Mom so much at the end that worry became the choice more easily in front of you. I think it’s so important to follow the implications of our faith – and one of those implications is how we approach the daily stuff of life. Reach out anytime you need a word of hope – I think that may be what God is calling me to whisper right now.
So glad you’re there.