PEACE OVER PANIC

Panic threatens to set in as the world screams at us to worry, bulk buy our monthly supplies, scurry to grab the last hand sanitizer from the shelf and brace ourselves as we prepare for the worst.

Panic is an ugly thing that makes us do ugly things. It breeds selfishness, makes us look at our neighbors with suspicion; staring daggers at the woman in the store as she tries to hold back a cough.

Panic will murder your peace if you allow it to. It is surprisingly strong and will force it’s way into your thoughts and even your heart. Once that happens, thinking clearly becomes more difficult and we slowly start living from a place that cannot bare good fruit; for ourselves and our loved ones.

We cannot allow this to happen.

We need to filter our thoughts, what we allow to impact them and who we allow to impact them.

The world’s voice, although loud and convincing cannot be allowed to drown out the voice of our shepherd.

His voice tells us not to fear. . The phrase “fear not” is used at least 80 times in the Bible. I think this is because God knows that fear decreases hope and that in turn will steal our peace.

He knew we would struggle with this concept because in a time of worry and panic, to be fearful is our natural reaction, our human condition.

But we are more than these temporal physical bodies. And in a time such as this we need to address our souls the way David did, get right in there...to your core and address the substance you are made of.

Psalm 42:5 (NASB)

Why are you [a]in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

[b]Hope in God, for I shall [c]again praise [d]Him

For the [e]help of His presence.

Perhaps that’s the answer...praising Him in the middle of this world-wide mess.

Praise Him for more time with your family.

Praise Him for the de-cluttered existence we are having to live out, free from unnecessary trips to public places.

Praise Him for the uninterrupted way you’ll get to reconnect with your spouse, your children, your parents.

Yes, this all does come at a price: Our work may suffer, we may have to cut out on all the nice-to-haves for a bit, we may be stretched to our capacity as we navigate having children at home for a long while,

but it’s happening, and we get to decide how we look at it: through a lense of panic, or through one of peace.