When my wife was at the dentist’s the other day, he told her he was seeing a significant increase of people coming in with jaw problems. He said that he believed many of these were being caused by people clenching their teeth and that, he said, is usually as result of stress.
I think we all would agree that we are seeing a tremendous increase in the anxiety level of many people today. A recent survey by Stats Canada had approximately 46,000 Canadians participating in an online questionnaire, “Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Your mental health.” They reported that most (88%) participants said they had experienced at least one symptom of anxiety in the two weeks prior to completing the survey. “Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge” was the most commonly reported symptom (71%), followed by “becoming easily annoyed or irritable” (69%) and “trouble relaxing” (64%).
The other day, I myself received a phone call asking me to participate in a survey on the pandemic, where one of the questions asked related to anxiety. On a scale of one to five, I was to rate my anxiety level from very low to very high. My response was that it was a one.
My reason for giving that answer is because of the belief I have in God: that He is sovereign. What I mean by “sovereign” is that He is in total control over all that happens on planet earth. We read of that control in the Book of Psalms in the Bible: “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
Elsewhere in the Bible we are told, “For God is so wise and so mighty… If He commands it, the sun won’t rise and the stars won’t shine. He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:4-8).
So the reason we do not have fear but rather peace in a time of pandemic is because we are convinced that God is in total control of what happens on planet earth. And I believe that that control includes pandemics. For sure, God is not gasping as He looks at what’s happening and asking, “What on earth is going on?!?” (pun intended.)
Indeed, the very opposite is true: He has allowed this pandemic for His divine purposes. Though we may not always know immediately what those purposes are, we can be assured that ultimately He will accomplish them. Knowing the way God has worked in previous times of hardship, we can surmise just a couple of possible purposes.
One is to use troubles like pandemics to remind us of our limitedness and of our need of Him. When things are going good, most of us can live our lives almost oblivious to Him and His existence. But problems are often God’s tool to pull us toward Himself and knowing Him. It is then that we discover the true purpose of life on earth and consequently the deep fulfillment that brings.
There is one other reason why I answered with a “one”. And that is because God has promised us that He causes all to “work together for good, to them that love God.” Being reassured that in the end, this will somehow accomplish that good gives me the assurance to continue on without fear and anxiety.
So that is why we can we have peace rather than fear in a time of pandemic.
May that reassure you as much as it does me.
