Why Are We Living in Fear

Brothers and Sisters this current situation has the world on its knees. Many have a concrete jungle survivalist attitude through fear of the unknown. There are people who are completely dependent on worldly goods and services with little recognition that God is the great provider. This has me thinking, What can we learn from the current state of the world.

Fear Is In Control

The media and those in power have total control of the masses through fear of a pandemic which has killed and can kill more. There are natural ways to fight this but people want the government to protect them through means that could actually cause more problems down the road. Fear leads to anxiety which leads to greater fears, an unending cycle without God. Yes there is reason to fear this but there is a greater power who is completely in control.

Jesus is recorded as speaking about anxiety in the Gospel of Matthew, saying:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34

When we let fear control us we are in danger in losing faith in who matters most. This passage talks about basic needs for living but these basic needs also encompass healthy living because our provider, The Father God, gives us what we need to survive when we need it as long as we place our complete trust in Him.

Dependency in Materialism is Not The Way

 Because we are a capitalist and materialist society we have become dependent on things made for us so we can concentrate on the “good” things in life that honestly do not matter. People have hoarded products and food items in fear of not being able to survive without them. Many have forgotten how to make things for themselves and ingenuity for basic items like hygiene is lost.

Some people have remembered how to survive like our ancestors and have written numerous books on the subject. The problem is that we have become dependent on buying things already made instead of doing without or making them ourselves. God gave us dominion over the earth which means He created so that we can design and develop items that we can survive on without creating “greenhouse gasses” and other emissions which can destroy the very materials we need to survive.

We Have Families?

An amazing discovery for some people is that there are other people living in the same house and have been there for years. We are relational beings yet we have been so caught up in our daily lives that there are people we have forgotten about. Kids are staying home which means the people that were gifted the children have to actually pay attention and care for them. This is a great time to rediscover those who sleep in the same house and to make contact with others who share your last name.

Believe me, some people who thought that teachers and day care workers were supposed to teach their kids about basic life needs, manners, respect, and right from wrong are about to get woken up. Mom, Dad, it is time to potty-train (yes there are people who depend on others to train their toddlers), comfort, feed, teach basic letters, words, and numbers, associate, and love your children the way God loves us.

Time to get rid of the things that separate us and come together as a family.

God is Watching Us

How we react is one thing that we need to carefully consider in this time. Are we obedient to the requests of those appointed over us? Do we respect authority? Do we care for our neighbors? Do we help those in need when we are able? Do we continue to worship and praise God in this time of pain and suffering? Do we continue in fellowship? Do we trust that God has this under control and will wipe it away when the lesson is learned? Do we Love others just as God Loves us?
All of those come from what God has written in the way we should live our lives. I know these are hard times but without God we will not survive. It is time to check yourself and your relationship with God. How is your heart? Do you have a heart like the faithful kings, prophets, and God-fearing believers of old, or are you one that believes but does not act upon it? Are you a sheep or a goat?

When we consider our relationship with God I ask that you spend as much time in prayer and in the Word that you do with other activities. I challenge you to spend twice as much time with God as you would watching your favorite movie or your favorite sport. In doing this you will have that chance to be reconnect with what has been lost. I challenge you this week to make a difference in someone’s life. For some, you might make a difference in your own that carries through to others and the reaction to this has been known to be contagious. We can replace the virus of fear with the cleansing flood of God’s Love.

Be who God needs you to be.

In God’s Loving Embrace,

Rob, Servant of God