2 scriptures I read when I am afraid

Yesterday I had a conversation with a very dear friend of mine about our current climate. This friend came to me and said that they were simply afraid and a bit overwhelmed with everything going on. We have violent riots across the country, civilians and police officers being beaten, run over with cars, and killed. We have political chaos and vitriol constantly from all over. We even had police officers and their families being threatened. And, lest we forget, we are also in the midst of a world-wide pandemic! All of these things are ripe to spread fear and division and indeed they are. 

So, I told my friend about two scriptures that help me when I am overwhelmed and am fearful. 

The first are the words of the wise King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” 

I believe that what makes these situations most disturbing is the belief that this is the first time it’s ever been this way before. We believe that the world had never seen this before and so it scares us. While much of what has happening has never been seen in many of our lifetimes it has all happened before and will happen again. 

I spoke to one of our elders the other day about the riots that took place in 1968, particularly the week after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. There 13 deaths, almost 1200 injuires, and well over 6,000 arrests.

I just read in Acts 21 about an angry mob that attacked Paul and dragged him out into the street beating him and intending to kill him. 

This COVID 19 pandemic is bad, but it barely compares with the Spanish Flu of 1918. In 15 months a third of the world’s population was infective and over 50 million people died. COVID is deadly serious, but we are significantly more prepared for this now than we were then. 

In 2009 we had the Swine flu that lasted 19 months and infected a suspected 1.4 billion people with almost 300,000 deaths. 

We are enduring some crazy political chaos right now but just take some time to study the presidencies of Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln or Richard Nixon.

38.6 million people are out of work right now, making the unemployment rate 14.7%. The economy is struggling like it hasn’t in decades. But during the great depression the unemployment rate was 24.9%. I have a few friends who were laid off and just got called back to work yesterday. 

Imagine how scared and unsure and angry people felt during these times. Listen, I am not saying there isn’t reason to be concerned, I am not saying we shouldn’t be actively involved in all of these situations, I am not saying these things don’t matter.

What I am saying is that we have been here before and we will be here again – there is nothing new under the son, this too shall pass. 

The second passage that helps me through these times is my wife’s favorite verse, John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

There is nothing you are facing, nothing we are facing that Jesus has not already overcome. Whether it be COVID 19, rioting, racism, poverty whatever. Listen, the answer is always Jesus Christ. He teaches us to love all human beings which are made in His image – skin color and all. He teaches us sell what we have to care for the poor. He teaches us to turn the other cheek. And most profoundly He defeated death when He walked out of his own grave.

Nothing you have, freedom, property, government, health, family, friends are sure – are eternal – only Jesus Christ. 

These are not times that we must figure out and overcome, they have already been overcome by Christ, our task is to follow Him closely.

I am not abdicating responsibility, not saying we don’t have work to do, on the contrary, following Jesus will lead you to action-selfless and uncomfortable action. But I am saying that you have nothing to fear – Jesus has already won. Stay close to Him and help other people to do the same. That is the primary way to make a difference.