Three Steps To Spread A Contagious Hope When the World is Falling Apart
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).
Knowing God’s character and remembering His past faithfulness can encourage us to trust Him and embrace hope in our current situation.
Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord (Psalm 31:24).
I walk through ALDI following the aisle directional signs and pacing myself to stay at least six feet apart from my fellow shoppers. I long to see a friend or at least catch a smile, but instead only fleeting, fearful glances meet mine above covered faces. I finish my shopping and load the car quickly, but it takes a long time to get home. Downed lines and electrical repair personnel block the shortest route. I turn around and follow an alternate path of chaos and debris until I’m able to pick my way into the neighborhood. Nothing feels familiar or hopeful in this world of masks and rubble.
We have now endured more than six weeks of social distancing, non-essential business closures, and shelter at home orders. Our viral visitor is wreaking havoc on our health, economy, safety, and even our freedom in unprecedented ways. In addition to our Corona challenges, two weeks ago a tornado tore through our area, demolishing trees, power lines, businesses, and houses. Moving forward in this double catastrophe feels overwhelming, but no matter the scope of destruction or disaster there are three things we can do to embrace hope when life seems uncertain and out of control.
The Lord is still in control, on the throne, and worthy of our praise.
First, refuse fear. Reject the temptation to make choices out of panic. Fear succumbs to hoarding, grasping, pettiness, anxiety, and hopelessness. Don’t be the desperate drowning man who pushes everyone else down in an attempt to pull himself up. The Bible admonishes us not to fear over 360 times. Often that command is linked with the reassurance that God is near. “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’” (Hebrews 13:5c-6a ESV). He is Immanuel, God with us—then, now, and forever—even during a pandemic and the aftermath of a tornado.
Masks and rubble will continue to symbolize the collective pain of our shared suffering for months to come.
Next, trust God. He is our refuge and strong tower. “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10). Knowing God’s character and remembering His past faithfulness can encourage us to trust Him and embrace hope in our current situation. For example, God assures us that:
He is our provider (Gen 22:14; Phil 4:19). Not the job. Not the bank account. Not the 401K. And certainly not the government. If God can provide manna in the wilderness, he can feed our families. If He even gave us His son, then He will also through Jesus freely give us all things (Romans 8:32). We can honor the Lord by looking to Him with the confidence of a young child knowing her daddy will take care of her with no doubt or demand to know how. She simply expects him to do what daddies do.
He is our healer (Psalm 30:2). This virus and its devastations are not beyond God’s reach. As the Great Physician, He can restore us through medicine, protect us through immunization, or heal through a personal touch. He is the One who can declare, "It is enough” to each event, sickness, or storm that threatens us. He has written every day of our lives in His book and knows the hour of our death (Psalm 136:16). We can trust Him with our sorrows, wounds, and diseases.
He is sovereign (Job 42:2; Col 1:16-17). This situation has not caught God off guard or surprised Him. He commands the resources and compassion to meet us in our neediness. I don’t pretend to know how far-reaching the virus will be or how long it will take to rebuild the houses and infrastructure in our area. I’m concerned for my family and friends, our business, our community, nation, and world. But I know that our God is trustworthy and it’s never a mistake to place our faith in Him. The Lord is still in control, on the throne, and worthy of our praise.
Finally, be generous (2 Corinthians 9:10). Follow the example of the churches in Macedonia who gave unselfishly despite affliction and deep poverty (2 Corinthians 8:2). They gave to others and lived openhandedly because they trusted the Lord to provide. We too can afford to give liberally and graciously since we are tied to all-encompassing abundance through Jesus. Our generosity can include money, time, resources, and sharing of the truth. There are so many needs on every front and this is a unique opportunity for the body of Christ to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world. For me, that begins with my own tornado-torn community.
There are so many needs on every front and this is a unique opportunity for the body of Christ to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world—beginning with our own tornado-torn community.
On a broader scale, there are whispers of a gradual re-opening of businesses and services. Soon, many of us may have the opportunity to return to work and attempt to navigate through a cautious economic recovery. In our area, storm cleanup has begun with neighbors, churches, electrical crews, and insurance adjustors all working as efficiently as possible. But it will be a long, slow time before things return to business as usual. Masks and rubble will continue to symbolize the collective pain of our shared suffering for months to come. But we can point others to the true anchor of hope as we live out the sure and steadfast hope that is within us (Hebrews 6:19). As people who know their God, we can embrace countless opportunities to refuse fear, trust the Lord, and live generously.
That is the kind of hope that is even more contagious than the coronavirus.
