You have a lot to do today and a lot to think about, so I’ll keep this one short.

Not one of us is unaffected by the current virus concerns. Whether your kids are being kept home from school or your business is being shut down or your church is limiting activity, every one of us is being forced to grapple with this crisis. As believers, we know that we are not supposed to live in fear. We know it and we say it, but sometimes we don’t recognize when fear is in the driver’s seat in our own lives.

One of my prayers for myself, and for the Church, is that I will recognize and wrestle with the reality of my own fear, in whatever way it presents itself. Fear is a natural reaction to danger. God gave it to us and it is a good thing as long as it is protective and not destructive. The question that I need to ask myself is, “Am I letting fear steal my peace and destroy my joy?” So far, I don’t think that I have, but I am not the best judge of that. Sometimes I might need someone else to point it out. You might as well. I am praying that I have the humility to receive any needed correction so that I can redirect my fear to faith.

With that in mind, I want to offer you a few thoughts on some differences between fear and faith.

FAITH acknowledges reality. FEAR amplifies reality.

FAITH moves forward. FEAR freezes.

FAITH looks up with confidence. FEAR looks around with suspicion.

FAITH wins in the end. FEAR is always losing.

Keep your faith, my friend. Don’t lose it to fear. Take whatever precautions you need to, but make every effort to recognize when fear is trying to take the wheel. We will get through this, together and with God.

Here’s a favorite verse of mine that is applicable in so many situations, including this one.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

September 12, 2026

This is Not Forever

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

As I tearfully opened the sodden boxes of our stored belongings, wondering what was ruined, a verse came to mind,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

We were temporarily living with my parents, and our stuff was stored in Tom’s parents' garage. They had a plumbing issue in their bathroom above the garage, causing a leak that soaked several of our boxes and other items, including our mattress. We weren’t sure what was salvageable.

That period of time was already difficult. We were waiting for a job to open up and unsure how long that would take, how long we would be living with my parents, how long our stuff would be stored. Both sets of parents had been patient, loving, and gracious. There was no one to blame for the water damage. Sometimes things just happen.

But when that verse popped into my brain, it completely changed my perspective on going through the damage. The tears didn’t stop. There was some mourning and disappointment. But at the same time, there was hope. This was temporary. These things were just things. What really mattered was how I responded. I could choose an eternal perspective. I could choose to treasure Christ more than an earthly possession.

As it turned out, very few of our things were unsalvageable, and insurance more than covered anything that was lost. But the eternal perspective I gained is a treasure that I still carry. That simple shift helped me through the three and a half years of living in the in-between.