WHAT SPREADS FASTER THAN THE CORONAVIRUS?

FEAR! Fear spreads far faster than the coronavirus and in the end may well have more long-term detrimental effects. To date there are over 800,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States and MOST of the population has been traumatized by FEAR! The "experts" keep saying, "I don't know" while at the same time serving up HUGE amounts of fear mongering. Statistically, the FEAR response has been overwhelming! People are like sheep (I read that somewhere) and when the popular media serves up the FEAR OF DEATH night and day the outcome is widespread FEAR. Now of course we want to be WISE as in the case of any transferable disease. But when FEAR controls the narrative the result is paralysis. We do want to be wise, but not governed by fear!

Fear is contagious and it is paralyzing. In the Old Testament Moses gave this instruction regarding those who were fearful in regard to war.

Deuteronomy 20:8 (NKJV)“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’

Not only was the concern that the fearful man would not hold up in war, but the greater concern is that he would negatively influence his brethren with the contagion of fear. When the Canaanites heard about what God did to Israel's enemies Rahab said, "our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone" (Josh. 2:11). When the MAJORITY gave a bad FEAR report about the giants in the land of promise the response was that of paralyzing fear (cf. Num. 13:32-33). Numbers 14:1 says, "So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night."

In truth we are all going to die. Unless Jesus comes in our lifetime, we all have an appointment with death (cf. Heb. 9:27). And while seeking to be wise, we as God's people are not held hostage to the fear of death (cf. Heb. 2:15). Paul told Timothy in the context of a threatening environment, "God has not given us a spirit of fear" (2 Tim. 1:7). Paul encouraged the Philippian Christians to be "not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God." (Phil. 1:28)

The Christian should face the threat of death with a different spirit than what is found in the world. A BOLD stand shows the reality of our faith and serves to convict those who don't have a hope beyond this life. FEAR is not to govern our lives. The FEAR OF DEATH is not to govern our lives. Yes, we do want to be wise, but FAITH rather than FEAR is to be our controlling reality! The night before He was crucified Jesus left His disciples with these affirming words.

John 14:1 (NKJV)
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:27 (NKJV)
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 16:33 (NKJV)
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”