GIVE FAITH, NOT FEAR, THE UPPER HAND
Psalm 46
Do you remember the TV show “Monk”? If so, you may recall that the show was built around the main character, Adrian Monk, a former San Francisco detective, who was debilitated by excessive phobias. The word “phobia” comes from the Greek, and means “a fear.” There are all kinds of phobias. Healthline.com, a site dedicated to disseminating health-related information, lists nearly a hundred phobias. Some of the more familiar among them are:
Acrophobia — the fear of heights
Agoraphobia — the fear of open places
Claustraphobia — the fear enclosed places
Aquaphobia — the fear of the water
Astraphobia — the fear of storms
Hollywood has capitalized on some of the phobias too. Perhaps you've been terrorized by them too. Movies about such things as:
Arachnophobia –— fear of spiders (the movie by the same name)
Coulrophobia — fear of clowns (the movie "IT"); and,
Ornithophobia — fear of birds (that great Hitchcock thriller "The Birds").
And then there’s one that some children seem to exhibit every night just before going to bed:
Ablutophobia — the fear of taking a bath.
Or after they've gone to bed:
Nyctophobia — the fear of the dark.
But in the first three months of 2020, a new fear has entered our minds. Maybe we can call it the Coronavirus Phobia. News broke in early January 2020, that a new, highly contagious, rapidly spreading, and potentially deadly virus was discovered in China. At first it was something over there and far away, someone else’s problem, but in just two months, as of this morning’s sermon, there are more than 300,000 confirmed cases worldwide, and over 13,000 deaths. Now we are seeing total lockdowns and quarantines everywhere. In our own state of Ohio, alone, there have been reported 247 confirmed cases, with four deaths. There have been two confirmed cases here in Clermont County.
Needless to say, what once seemed far away and someone else’s problem, has now become very real and very close. As this has become a pandemic, we have experienced fear and panic gripping us. Store shelves have been stripped bare of essential supplies and foods, as panicked buyers try to stock up in the event of a lockdown, only furthering the sense of panic, and frustrating others.
Part of the problem is that this is all new to us. None of us has been through anything of this magnitude and generating so much fear. We don’t know how to handle it.
Nearly 90 years ago, at the height of the Great Depression, another period in which excessive fear and panic gripped the hearts of the people, Franklin Roosevelt, in his inaugural address as President of the United States, said: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
What Roosevelt meant was that, while our fears may be real and justified, the bigger problem is the paralyzing influence of fear. Rather than allowing the fear of those days to paralyze the nation, Roosevelt’s administration began implementing social programs providing financial assistance, putting people back to work, replacing fear with hope through constructive activity.
One of the things we need to understand is that our fears in this global health crisis are well-founded and justified. We must not discount the concerns people have, saying “Oh, there’s nothing to worry about.” Nor should we minimize the seriousness of the hour, and pretend we can just ignore what is happening.
But we must also remember that, as Christians especially, we are a people of faith. We are called to trust God, rather than give in to fear and panic.
All through the scriptures Be not afraid is a common theme. Whether it was the Israelites trapped on the shores of the Red Sea with the army of the Egyptians coming up behind them. or facing powerful enemies who were as terrifying giants in their eyes — the word was, “Do not be afraid.” In the New Testament, when the angel came to Mary to tell her she would give birth to the Messiah; when the shepherds in the fields encountered a band of angels proclaiming Messiah’s birth; when the women came to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning, and angels appeared announcing that Christ was risen — in each of those cases, the first word was “Do not be afraid.” When Paul was imprisoned — “Do not be afraid.” When the early church faced persecution, even martyrdom — “Do not be afraid. And always with it the assurance: God is with you. God is in charge. God is able.
Our scripture this morning, Psalm 46, calls us to let faith have the upper hand rather than our fears: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.” — Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV) That’s not to say this isn’t a very troubling situation — it is. Nor is it saying fear isn’t present — it is. It’s saying, however, that Fear isn’t in charge — Faith is.
The Psalmist is reminded, in his own very difficult and frightening circumstances, that: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” —Psalm 46:4-5 (NIV)
In other words, God is still in charge. God is with us. God is there to help.
And then the Psalmist makes this profound observation: “Nations are in uproar . . . .” (Sounds like a fitting description of how things are today, doesn’t it?). But, he goes on to say — “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”— (vv. 6-7)
And then, the Psalmist gives us the key to it all . . . the way to let faith have the upper hand . . . God’s own word to us . . . “Be still, and know that I am God” (v. 10)
And then, in case we didn’t get it the first time, he says it again: “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Dear friends, I don’t want to suggest that our situation is not serious, for it is. And I don’t want to suggest that things won’t get worse before they get better — for they most assuredly will. But I do want to remind us that as people of faith our trust is in God, and whatever happens, God is with us and will bring us through.
I.
THE PROBLEM WITH GIVING OUR FEARS THE UPPER HAND, IS THAT WE CAN FIND OURSELVES OVERCOME BY THEM AND EVEN PARALYZED BY THEM.
We need to be pro-active and not give up. It behooves us to follow the best advice coming to us, to limit our social engagements to only what is necessary, to make sure we practice good hygiene — washing our hands, using sanitizer, disinfecting surfaces; to avoid contact with others as much as possible by practicing social distancing. Those are the practical things we can do to protect ourselves and others.
But what about faith — what will faith do for us? Well, for one, it will help us to put our focus on God, rather than our problem. It is in trusting God that we are able to say with the Psalmist: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
By focusing on God rather than our problem, the problem becomes more manageable. We know we are not alone, that God is with us. We look to God for our strength. We look to God for his help to make it through this time.
By focusing on God, we are encouraged not to give up or give in to panic. Being still and knowing that God is God, means experiencing a peace in our lives that quiets our fears.
The apostle Paul spoke of this as “the peace of God that transcends all understanding.” (Philippians 4:17 NIV) In other words, even when it doesn’t make any sense, even when it is beyond our ability to understand, we can still enjoy a sense of peace; it’s the peace OF GOD — a peace that only God can give when we trust in him, a peace that, as Paul says, “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
That can only come when we focus on God, and with faith, trust God. “Be still and know that God is God.” In other words, give faith the upper hand, rather than your fear,
II.
ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH GIVING FEAR THE UPPER HAND IS THAT IT CAUSES US TO FOCUS ONLY ON OURSELVES.
That’s what we saw in the panic buying which swept our nation. That’s why fights broke out in some places over grabbing up supplies. That’s why hoarding robbed others of the chance to provide for their needs. That’s why greed in some exploited our fears, buying up supplies and trying to sell them at exorbitant prices.
Faith, on the other hand, focusing on God rather than our fears, enables us to focus on others’ needs, not just our own. It allows compassion and generosity to rise up. Like medical professionals and first-responders working to combat the disease; food pantry workers distributing food to needy persons.
When we practice compassion and generosity, we pray for those who may be affected by this disease. We recognize that we are not alone in our need for food and supplies — and instead of hoarding all that we can, we buy reasonably, perhaps even share with others from what we have.
Compassion and generosity result from focusing on faith, rather than on our fear.
III.
AND SOMETHING ELSE FAITH CAN DO, RATHER THAN FEAR — IT HELPS US TO BE SPIRITUALLY WELL.
Fear tears us down — faith lifts us up.
Fear focuses on the problem — faith looks for the solution.
Fear discourages and defeats us — faith says, “I am more than conqueror through God who loves me” — (Romans 8:37)
Fear says, “I am overcome, there is no hope” — faith says: “I will be still and know that God is God.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed and the mountains fall into the sea. For the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Let’s be a people of faith rather than fear through all of this.
I want to close with a prayer which I came across recently on the internet from "The Catholic Crusade" (https://youtu.be/2z2SzR1uddI). It is not original to me, but it expresses so well the concerns of our hearts during this time of crisis.
CORONAVIRUS PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages curing every disease and illness. At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Heal those who are sick with the virus. May they regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear, which prevents nations from working together and neighbors from helping one another. Heal us from our pride, which can make us claim invulnerability to a disease that knows no borders.
Lord Jesus Christ, healer of all, stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal presence. Be with the families of those who are sick or have died. As they worry and grieve, defend them from illness and despair. May they know your peace.
Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace.
Be with the leaders of all nations. Give them the foresight to act with charity and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve. Give them the wisdom to invest in long-term solutions that will help prepare for or prevent future outbreaks. May they know your peace, as they work together to achieve it on earth.
Whether we are home or abroad, surrounded by many people suffering from this illness or only a few, Lord Jesus Christ stay with us as we endure and mourn, persist and prepare. In place of our anxiety, give us your peace. Lord Jesus Christ, heal us.” — Author Unknown "The Catholic Crusade Channel (YouTube)
Amen.
And now, “The Lord bless you and keep you: the Lord make his face to shine up on you and be gracious to you: the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
Preached: 22 March 2020 at Goshen United Methodist Church, Goshen, Ohio.
