It only takes a few minutes of scrolling through the media or walking thru the grocery to realize that there is no toilet paper, no soap, no hand sanitizer, no water and the non perishables are slim pickings.
This mass panic and hysteria is the result of two different things:
The first is that people are selfish. Often times they don’t think twice about what their neighbor might need or what is best for their community. They selfishly stock up and store, rather than share, taking more than they actually need (it will probably take up to a year for them to use all of it up!).
The second reason is that people are terrified of death. They do everyone that they can to stay healthy- anything they can do to put aging and death off just a little bit further. They eat healthy, exercise, buy vitamins and supplements, self quarantine,etc.
This is why we get mass panic.
This is why there are empty shelves and widespread hysteria.
So, how do we approach COV-19 as believers?
Friend, if you are in Christ, you should not be afraid to die. As Christians, we know where we are going when we do die. We know that the remainder of our days, though unbeknownst to us, are held in the hands of a Sovereign Lord who has carefully and intentionally measured our days (Ps 139:16) for His glory and our good.
Shouldn’t we, then, look forward to eternity with a certain hope (and peace) even in the midst of trial and uncertainty (James 1:2)? This is why we should be the first ones to remain calm. This is why we can have peace in the face of great difficulty or sickness. This is why we can generously share what we do have. This, my friend, is why we can love our Neighbors well.
2 Timothy 1:7 says this, “For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”
Certainly, exercise wisdom. Wash your hands. Be discerning when you go out and where you go out. But also remind your heart of the certain hope that we have in Christ. Take comfort in our great shepherding King. He is not surprised by COV-19 and He is most certainly in control.