It’s so easy to let fear of illness and the unknown grip your heart during this coronavirus outbreak, especially when every headline promises to tell stories of loss, economic collapse and other worrisome events. When fear and anxiety threaten to invade your every thought, let go and turn to God for the calm He offers.
Celebrate God’s Goodness
Right now, with so much seemingly going wrong in the world, it may be hard to find the good in really anything. While it’s normal to feel this type of helplessness and hopelessness in the face of such terror, having a bleak outlook does not do you any good. Instead, do as Phil. 4:4 suggests and “rejoice in the Lord always.”
Though the problem is unlike any other most people have ever experienced (given it’s on a global scale), the truth is that there is a lot of good in your world. You just need to look to God to find it. Take a few minutes to turn your attention away from the headlines and your health concerns and celebrate God. Obsessing over the world’s predicament — or any of your immediate problems, for that matter — will not solve it. In fact, the more you stare at an issue, the bigger it will grow. However, the more you look to God for guidance or even cheer, the quicker you can reduce the problem to its proper size.
Ask for Help
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” In times of fear, you have two choices: Despair or turn to prayer. Jesus is enticing you, in this passage, to choose the latter. Moreover, His words are said with conviction. He doesn’t say he “might answer” or “may help,” but that He will.
When your anxiety over the coronavirus has you feeling out of control, take the wheel and ask for help. Engage in specific, purposeful prayer. Doing so can let you gain perspective and assume calm as you wait for answers.
Let God Do His Work
Once you communicate your concerns to God, stop fretting and let Him take over. If you struggle to do this, just think of your relationship with God as you would any other service provider. For instance, when you took your car to the repair shop, did you leave it in the mechanic's good hands and trust he or she would make things right? Or did you hover over his or her shoulder, asking questions and interfering during the entire repair process? Chances are, you did the former.
Your relationship with God is, not to sound cavalier, like that between client and repair person. It is uncomplicated. Explain your problem, leave it with him to work out for you and await his guidance.
Meditate on the Good
Finally, meditate on the good in the world. Despite how difficult things may seem right now, there is always truth, nobility, justice, purity and beauty to behold. Search your daily life for praiseworthy experiences. Whether it be a beautiful sunrise, a tender moment with your child, a dog doing something goofy or a bird outside your living room window, find those things and meditate on them. You may not be able to control what’s going on in the world today, but you can control how you view the world — so choose to view it in a positive light.
When things seem upside down and as if they’ll never be set to rights, use the CALM method to find peace: celebrate, ask, let and meditate. In doing so, you can reframe the way you face your fears, gain control over your anxiety and sleep better at night.
