World Race parent Debby Lanier submitted her story in the midst of the Corona Virus Pandemic. She is speaking FAITH into the pandemic of fear that continues to escalate. It is a powerful call to believers no matter what happens.
News updates intensified my anxiety, so I muted the television. Still there was no reprieve. My phone dinged continuously with more frightening news.
There’s no escaping the escalating concerns about this coronavirus, is there?
I think it’s safe to say we’ve never seen panic accelerate so rapidly. Just when we think the hysteria has surely peaked, a whole new frenzy floods our news feeds.
We World Race parents share a vested concern in these warnings. We sent our most precious cargo out as missionaries into a world that now seems to be shutting down in every direction. What do we do with the alarming news coming at us full-throttle? How do we process all this, yet preserve our peace?
Friends, we must protect our hearts. Fear is an accelerant. It seeps in and consumes us before we realize what happened. Fear scrambles our sensibilities until it owns us from the inside-out. But hear me . . . Faith is an accelerant, too. If we’ll feed our hearts with Faith, if we’ll renew our minds with Abba’s Living Word, the supremacy of our God will consume us so wholly that His Presence will conquer every fear that seeks to conquer us.
Believe it or not, our dilemma parallels the difficulties Jeremiah faced. God called this prophet to speak Truth to a world running in the opposite direction. Depleted and disillusioned by all he witnessed, he cried out to God. The Lord lovingly reminded him, “You must influence others. Do not let them influence you” (Jer. 15:19). In other words, “Let your words change them, not the other way around!”
Parents, we entrusted our sons and daughters to the Lord long before they launched into this unpredictable world. Is He any less God now? Has COVID-19 frightened Heaven? Not one iota! The same God who called our children is keeping them at this very moment, so I will not be afraid! Either He’s LORD or He’s not. His supremacy does not waver. Our Faith rests upon a solid, secure foundation.
Some folks will consider us crazy for remaining calm while our children are stationed around the world amidst this ever-changing “pandemic.” Skeptics insist that our steadfast Faith is a cop-out, a way of ignoring the problem. But Faith never ignores the problem; it just refuses to ignore the solution. People of God, if Jesus lives in us, WE HOUSE THE ANSWER!
I am concerned that panic will take more lives than the actual pandemic. Let us remain anchored in the One who speaks PEACE to the storm. If He is not panicked, let us refuse to panic.
Moreover, let’s refuse to place the burden upon our children to calm our concerns. WE ARE THE PARENTS! Let us speak LIFE into them! We raised some amazing Jesus Lovers! They won’t buy into the hysteria if we don’t. Besides, they have already witnessed entirely too much on this journey to believe less!
Friends, may we represent our LORD well by walking in His Unexplainable Peace. May we remain humble yet sure. May we keep an encouraging word ever-ready to help others struggling with fear amid the frenzy. Our Great Faith in our Unconquerable God doesn’t make us better THAN others; it makes us better FOR others.
If we lean in and trust the Father with our ALL, this could be the Church’s finest hour! Our Faith amid mounting terror draws fragile hearts toward us for the sake of His Great Name. Furthermore, our sons and daughters will return with testimonies that will capture the hearts of unbelievers here and turn them toward the Father. It’s a win-win situation! But let US set that tone now!
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1) My God has got this. He’s got you too and that piece of your heart that walks the earth for His Glory!
