Choosing Faith When Testing Positive for COVID-19
Fear knocked on my door the moment I discovered that my family and I had COVID-19. My husband is an ER doctor, and when the wave of COVID cases came through our city, I knew that contracting the virus was inevitable. Although he wore his mask and checked off all the safety protocols, the virus still made its way into our home. Fear now had a chance to rear its ugly head.
At that moment, I had a choice. I could lose myself in fear or I could stand firmly in faith. I knew fear would not be a friend to me during my sickness. In fact, fear would make the situation worse.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” ( NIV)
I wanted my family to heal fully and quickly, and fear would crush the spirit of my home. So I pushed fear far from me and decided to claim God’s goodness, healing, and provision instead.
I went to bed and for two days surrounded myself with Christian music, sermons, and books. I kept my Bible close and read Scriptures of God’s endearing love. My kids’ symptoms were less severe than mine. My daughter had a fever, my oldest son had the headache, and my middle son showed very few signs of the sickness. We made it through our time of quarantine and fear had absolutely no hold over my family.
The truth about life is that there are millions of ways to die. If I focused on all the sickness, viruses, and diseases my family and I could contract, I would be crippled by fear daily. But thank God that through Jesus Christ, I have not been given a spirit of fear. Instead, Jesus gives me a spirit of “power,” “love” and a “sound mind.” ( ) But I have to make the choice not to open the door when fear comes knocking.
I know that although this life will have many heartaches, we have eternity with God through the Finished Work of Jesus Christ. We will be with God in heaven forever where there is no pain, no sickness, and no death ( ). Knowing that Jesus took my sins, so I could have a relationship with a holy God fills me with a fearless peace that nothing—not even COVID-19, can take from me.
When we let go of fear, our hearts and minds will be available to embrace the goodness of God. God’s love for us vanquishes all fear because we know that He is with us through the good times and the hard times ( ). No matter what lies ahead, our eternal spirits are safe in God’s hands.
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” ( NIV)
And this truth should make us fearless.
Alisa’s video about her family’s COVID-19 experience.
Copyright © 2020 Alisa Hope Wagner, used with permission. Want more information about resisting fear and standing firm in faith? Get Alisa Hope Wagner’s book, The Way of the Wolves: The Enemy’s Planned Strike on Your Life.
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