Hey everybody, 

Hope you are well and safe. It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post and obviously with all that’s been happening, I finally had some time. So, I wanted to write a little something about the whole Corona Virus and social distancing thing. 

Intro

I want to be clear that I’m advising people to stick to the government guidelines about social distancing right now. That is where we are at as a society. I understand this is a time full of much fear, stress and anxiety. People are concerned about the health of their loved ones and their well being as many have lost their jobs. So I’m not trying to be a rebel against the government or insensitive to what people are going through right now. 

However, I do want to challenge us and get people to think about how we are going to move forward. Especially church leaders and other Believers. We can’t just stay at home the rest of our lives or continue to do multiple week quarantines if something like this happens again down the road. That is exactly what the enemy would want. To keep us in fear, keep us from walking in who we really are and keep us divided so he can conquer.

What Would Jesus Do?

The title of this post is what would Jesus do about the Corona Virus. The answer to this question is not hard for people who are familiar with His life. The Gospels are chock-full of stories about him going around healing people (see references at the bottom of the page.) So I have no doubt that he would not have any fear about the Corona Virus and that He would be going around healing people.

What does this have to do with us right now though? Well Jesus said as He is in this world, so are we (1 John 4:17). This is where the rubber meets the road and things start to get controversial. Unfortunately, people tend to think you’re arrogant if you go around saying or thinking you can be as Jesus. Who do you think you are, they say. What gives you the right to do that? Do you think you’re better than me?

The Stumbling Blocks of Pride & Unbelief

See all of that is wrapped up in pride and self-centeredness. Someone who says and thinks they can be like Jesus is actually humbling themselves and saying what Jesus says about them. It’s actually pride to exalt your opinion over what Jesus says. See how easily things get twisted. Jesus died so that we can forever have a word that speaks to us about how God thinks about us, even in our sin. Jesus took upon Himself our sin so that we could be free to live the life He always wanted for us from the beginning. A life of walking in the cool of the day with Him enjoying fellowship free from sin. I understand how most people think about this topic because I once thought the same way. It wasn’t easy for me to accept this when I started learning about it. I thought I was just a low-life sinner who God just tolerated but never celebrated. I thought God was just so dissapointed with me that He could barely even look at me. But as I grew in my faith, I came to understand this is not the truth. 

Another stumbling block in my opinion is the belief many people have that God sends problems and sickness to teach us something. Although good can come from these things it’s detrimental to one’s relationship with God if you believe He is the one who sends sickness and disease on people. Furthermore, this is just not the truth. Who would want to have a relationship with such a person? 

The reason many people are taught this is a misinterpretation of the scripture Romans 8:28 which says “and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” People assume this verse says God causes everything to happen. But that’s not what this says. It’s saying that God can take whatever happens and use it for His good. There is an enemy and evil in this world that is the result of us having a choice. John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God is not the one sending the Corona Virus. For more on these topics please read my previous blog series The God I Wish You Knew, God’s Campaign For You, and Tough Questions, specifically part 3; Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People and Part 4 Why Aren’t My Prayers Getting Answered. 

I’m not judgmental of people who aren’t quite there yet, but I’m not going to let them hold me back from saying what I believe in, especially now. I have written blogs like this in the past but there’s something in me rising up again saying enough is enough. I really felt a strong urge to get this message out there again and whatever people want to say or think is fine with me. 

Steps For Going Forward

So regarding going forward, here’s some steps I would recommend:

1. Pray with God – Ask God to show you the truth about the Corona Virus and His healing power. Ask God for the right attitude and to be available for whatever it is He wants to show you.
2. Pray For Yourself – If you’re feeling any symptoms, you can pray over yourself something like this “Father I thank you that your name is above all names. Your name is above the Corona virus. I speak death over the Corona Virus and any sickness or pain in my body. I command the life giving power of God to come into my body. I confess that I am whole and healed.” 
3. Pray With Others – Praying with more people won’t all of the sudden get God to move, but it might help your faith if you ask another Christian to pray and believe and agree with you. 
4. Pray For Others – You can’t give what you don’t first receive. So you first need to receive the healing for yourself. Then you can pray for others. Anything that will help people focus on God, and His goodness helps. In my opinion, the best type of prayer though is not one where you are begging or pleading for God to please heal them. He’s a proactive God who already took care of all our needs before we could ever ask. He doesn’t react differently if someone prays louder or more emotionally. This is more of a touch point and prayer of authority. See how Jesus laid hands on people and took authority over the sickness He was praying against. He knew the Father’s heart and He was in faith and agreement with the Father about His will to heal them. It doesn’t have to be a long prayer. Just a simple straight forward prayer. And you don’t have to take a heavy burden upon yourself. It’s not you healing them, it’s God working through you.
5. Stay in faith – you might not see or feel anything right away. It’s ok. Daniel 4 is a good story to reference if this is the case. In the text it shows that he prayed and didn’t receive his answer for 3 weeks. But his prayer was answered right away, it just took 3 weeks for him to receive it. 
6. Practice Healthy Habits – this would include washing hands often and thorough, sanitizing your hands, taking vitamins, eating healthy and drinking plenty of liquids like hot tea, apple cider vinegar, etc. 

Conclusion

You may notice these steps are quite opposite from the way most of the world thinks. You see how I emphasized prayer first and foremost and then healthy habits. Where the world mostly focuses on healthy habits, which aren’t a bad thing to do, but prayer is kind of like a last resort.

I’ve heard many people say that hopefully the best thing that comes out of this is that people wash their hands and sanitize more. Joking aside, this is a great opportunity for everybody to draw closer to God and pray more. I’ve listed some examples of Jesus healing below. If there is anything I can do to help you in your journey with Jesus, please let me know. Feel free to reach out with questions, prayer requests, etc. Thanks for stopping by. God bless.

Fairchild, Mary. “Miracles of Jesus: From Healing the Sick to Turning Water Into Wine.” Learn Religions, Feb. 11, 2020, learnreligions.com/miracles-of-jesus-700158.

Here’s a great new Christian song that has been on repeat for me during this time: