The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc upon our world and some people aren’t sure what to do. Let me suggest five ways Christians should respond to this pandemic.
1. Give praise to God
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 (NIV) says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Even in the face of something as serious as the coronavirus, Christians are called to praise God. This verse tells us that being alive (i.e., having breath) is the only requirement for praising God!
Note that the scriptures do not say, “If you are alive and everything is going well, then praise the Lord” or “If you are alive and healthy, then praise the Lord” or “If you are alive and rich, then praise the Lord.” No, the scriptures simply say, “Praise the Lord.” Period. Praising the Lord is to be done unconditionally, without hesitation, and without reservation by every living person. Are you alive today? If you are, you should praise the Lord!
2. Trust in the power of God
God has the power to do anything!
Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV) says, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” This is a rhetorical question to which the answer is “No!” The word “anything” is absolute and all-inclusive. There are no exceptions to “anything” because God has total, complete, and unlimited power.
“Anything” covers financial problems, relationship problems, job problems, and health problems, including the coronavirus. God has the power to handle all of these situations. As we deal with life’s challenges, let us remember that God is sovereign and trust Him to handle our problems in the way He sees fit.
3. Offer prayers to God
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective!
James 5:16 (NIV) says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” This verse says prayer is “powerful and effective.” In other words, prayer changes things!
When we pray to our Almighty God, He will either change the situation or change us, but something will change. If someone is sick with the coronavirus, God may hear their prayers and change their situation by healing them.
Alternatively, God could hear their prayers and change them by giving them the strength to persevere and continue to praise Him, even in the midst of their sickness. Regardless of our circumstances, we should never stop praying and calling on the name of the Lord!
4. Wait patiently on God
God will act when He gets ready!
Psalm 27:14 (NIV) says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Sometimes, no matter how much we want a situation to change, all we can do is wait. As it relates to this coronavirus pandemic, God will deliver us and heal the land when He gets ready.
The dictionary defines patience as “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” Instead of getting angry and upset when we go through difficult times, God wants us to “be strong” (i.e., stand firm) and “take heart” (i.e., be encouraged). This can be done only with the strength that comes from the Lord. While we are waiting for God to deliver us from this pandemic, let us ask Him to help us wait on His perfect timing.
5. Accept the plan of God
God is all-wise and knows exactly what He is doing.
Daniel 4:35 says, “All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?'” Let’s face it. Even after we have given praise to God, trusted in the power of God, offered prayers to God, and waited patiently on God, we or our loved ones may still die after contracting the coronavirus. Being a Christian does not make a person immune to trouble, pain, suffering, or death.
We know beyond a doubt that God can heal us from this virus because He has healed many people already. However, we don’t know with certainty that He will heal us. That is why we must ultimately yield to the will of God and His plan.
This verse says God does as He pleases and no one can stop Him. Having faith in God does not guarantee everything will work out as we desire. But if we truly believe God is sovereign, we will allow Him to do as He pleases and accept what He decides. Will this be easy? No. But with God’s help, we can do it.
Salvation comes through Jesus alone!
There is Some Good News!
Speaking of God’s plan, it is His desire for everyone to have eternal life. Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Whether we realize it or not, our lives have been and always will be in God’s hands. That was true before the coronavirus pandemic, it is true during the pandemic, and will be true after the pandemic is over.
We don’t know how or if the coronavirus will affect us, but we can know for sure that we will be with the Lord after our lives are over. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” If you are not saved, I encourage you to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. For those of us who are saved already, we should tell as many people as we can about the salvation that is available through faith in Christ.
How are YOU responding to the coronavirus pandemic?
Thank you for this reminder which is very clear and right from the word of God.