2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Amidst all of the coronavirus pandemonium, I remind myself today that I have a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (and not of fear).
I have heard some believers say to continue on, as is, because Jesus’ blood covers us and everything is fine (“have no fear”), and, on the other end of the spectrum, I have seen many churches close their physical doors today and host online services instead (“just in case” and to avoid any issues).
In the face of this I ask myself, what would wisdom say and do regarding all of the news reports and varying forms of advice?
Panic? No. Prepare? Yes. Be wise? Yes. Pray? Yes. Trust GOD? Yes.
The word “wise” is found in the word “wisdom”. Being wise means having experience and deep understanding to make decisions based on careful thought and judgement. Hence, using wisdom.
All of this to say, let’s be wise and take heed to the warnings and help prevent the spread of germs, because we should already be doing this anyway. If you don’t feel good — stay home and/or call your doctor, use sanitizer wipes, wash your hands frequently, cough into your elbow, stay a few feet away from others (when issues such as coronavirus arise), etc.
We have a responsibility to ourselves (because our bodies are temples for God) and to others (because we are called to love one another)–all the time.
Pray over yourself and your family every day and thank God for His protection. Thank Him for health in your body and speak life over yourself, and the ones you love. This should be a daily practice, regardless of life’s circumstances!
To sum it up, being wise doesn’t mean being fearful– it means we are smart. Would you jump off of a building and then ask God to rescue you? Probably not. So as an equally obnoxious example, are you going to lick every doorknob you see and then ask God to protect you from coronavirus? I would venture to say, probably not.
Look, there will be pestilence, storms, trials, sicknesses, diseases, wars, famines, natural disasters, and other tribulations that come our way. The Word specifically says in Isaiah 43:2, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
So, we WILL face these things, but God will be faithful to us through it. Let Him direct Your path and follow your instinct (that’s the Holy Spirit guiding you in your decisions)… His Wisdom.