Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, plans for a hope and a future.”
Some have said that “the opposite of fear is faith.” However, we are living during a time in which many people are experiencing fear; fear of the Coronavirus, fear of other current day hypothetical situations that they hear about on the news, and even fear of the future. It is obviously important to do our best to care for our own health and well-being, to the best of our ability. If we are high risk in regard to illness, we might need to do things others do not do, even if it means staying at home.
However, what I am seeing currently is a tendency for people to embrace what I would call, “worst-case scenarios.” Unfortunately, when we do this, we have a tendency to pull away from our faith in God, an all-powerful, omnipotent God who is in control of our universe – a God who loves us so much that “even the hairs on our head are numbered” (Matthew 10:30). We need to be careful not to give fear the power to harm us emotionally and/or cause us to lessen our faith in the God who loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins and promises a good plan for our future.
I genuinely believe that we need to take our focus off the all the negativity of world events and focus on the goodness of God.
I personally experienced a very negative, fearful situation this past week. Fortunately, it was very temporary. Although very unnerving at the time, within a few hours it was resolved. We need to remember most of our negative situations are temporary, although during the time they happen can be emotionally exhausting.
We must always remember that no matter what is happening, “our story is not over yet.” God is still in control. In James we are reminded that, “the testing of our faith produces perseverance and perseverance must finish its work to produce maturity and completion in us.”
So, how can we get our focus back on God and off our current doubts and worries?
One thing that I personally do and recommend to you is to take a pen or pencil and list all your blessings – everything that comes to mind regarding God’s gifts to you! Scripture reminds us that all good and perfect gifts are from Him! As you give over your anxious thoughts to God, remembering to thank Him for all His blessings in the process, you will “experience the peace of God that guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
Make the decision today to choose to have faith, not fear!