“Nothing in the world makes a man more unhappy than fear,” writes Johann Friedrich Von Schiller. This emotion, like sadness and anxiety, puts the individual in a situation of inertia, preventing them from fully enjoying life. It is linked, in most cases, to the reception of an external stimulus such as a noise, an unpleasant image or a situation which exceeds one’s level of control. Considered as a virus, fear generates, in humans, pain, anxiety and above all a negative attitude towards life. Is it therefore necessary to let ourselves be dominated by such a virus? Isn’t this feeling more devastating than COVID-19?
Faced with the consequences of Covid-19 on daily life (slowdown of activities, social distancing, deaths, etc.), collective fear is taking hold everywhere and elsewhere. Some wake up every morning with a feeling of despair, pessimistic expectations, imagining that death will penetrate more and more homes and that the world is coming to an end. Are they not falling into the clutches of an evil more serious than Covid 19 itself?
In view of all this, we Christians must rely more than ever on the goodness and faithfulness of God. His word clearly tells us, “The lovingkindness of the Lord is not exhausted, His mercies are not at an end,” Lam 3:22. It allows us to experience them daily. Even in the most difficult situations, our God cares for his children. His plans for us are for our possessions but not for our downfalls. He wants to give us a future full of hope. Sometimes, forgetting these promises, we have a negative attitude towards life and the future. However, our whole life is under the control of the Almighty.
In short, God, our Father, wants us to live this earthly life to the fullest, far from fear and worry (Matthew 6:25). We are his beloved children, He wants us to believe more in Him. If He was able to free us from sin, let us be assured that He can also deliver us from any other virus that could prevent us from living according to His will. What son, whose father has power over everything, will not feel at peace even in distressing situations?
Don’t be afraid, I’m with you. Don’t look around with worry. Yes, your God is me. I make you strong, I come to your aid and I protect you with my powerful and victorious hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
