Don’t Panic!

Don’t Panic! Stay Calm! It’s not hard to stay calm when everything is peaceful, but the test is staying calm when others are in a panic. It is terrifying to witness a crowd in panic, irrationally acting out of fear with each person following another person in flight. That is what we are seeing around the world with COVID-19—empty shelves in grocery stores, limits on buying essential items—all point to the panic of hoarding. We can, however, refuse to be part of the fear-driven-pandemonium.

The Apostle Paul recognized that the temptation to panic was real for the Philippians during a difficult time. They faced oppression and hardship, so he urged them to rise above it. When the Philippians were going through persecution and fear was all around, Paul said to them: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27). Like the Philippians, we don’t know what will happen, and we are pretty sure bad things will continue to happen.  Paul’s “Whatever happens,” takes in everything! While many people panic, we remain steadfast and conduct ourselves in a manner that sets us apart from the fearful crowd.

Remembering who we belong to is the best way to stay calm in this pandemic. We belong to Christ; consequently, we are citizens of heaven. We don’t have to be frightened or intimidated. We can be united and stand firm in our attitude and actions. No matter what the circumstances, as Christians, we still remain citizens of heaven. Our past need not impede us, nor the future paralyze us even though fearful people surround us. In Christ, we are set free from it. We are not hopeless, no matter how bleak it may appear because we know God.

Job shows us what confidence in God does for us in times like these, “But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Job didn’t know what the future held, but it didn’t matter because he trusted that God knew what he is doing.

Embracing a Biblical theology of suffering is essential to stay calm. If you ever heard that when you come to Christ all your problems, go away, you heard a distortion of the truth. The Christian life is a series of struggles, and because of that, we experience emotional and physical stress.

How we view that suffering is incredibly important to how we go through it. If our theology is wrong, we will obsessively question why we suffer, thus adding to our anxiety. The Early Church had a clear view of suffering: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2). How about your perseverance? Is it growing? Are you calm and trusting in the Lord as you go through this time of testing? Are you living as a citizen of heaven? Remember we have so much to look forward to as citizens of heaven. In heaven, there will be no more quarantine and no more locked doors: “Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night” (Isaiah 60:11). (Next Sunday morning I will deliver an Easter message on Facebook).