Swine Flu - Responding Biblically

Its all over the news, you can't escape images of people with masks over their faces, you can't turn your TV on without hearing 'The latest', we are being given constant updates on the WHO threat level. People have even been ringing into their doctors surgeries asking for Tamiflu as a precaution.

But how should we react? What is Biblical reaction? I guess some people would shrug their shoulders and say whatever will be will be. But that is not the full story.

It is interesting how the media coverage has sparked fears in young children. One of ours was sat on his bed crying, saying that he didn't want to die. All explanation of how unlikely he was to get it, how we hadn't been to Mexico etc... Did no good at all, he was still worried he was going to die. So what stopped him crying? It was when his mum said that if we live great God gives us time to enjoy the world he has put us in and learn more about him, but if we were to die then we get to be with Jesus for ever. His reaction - to stop crying get his school uniform on and start playing now totally reassured.

Sometimes our children's reactions have much to teach us. One of the issues that this potential pandemic is throwing up is people's fear of death. If this world is all you have to live for then rightly so, but if we know that we will only fall asleep in Jesus we need not panic.

So how should we respond as believers:

1. We ought not to worry instead we need to remind ourselves that our future is secure and it is (1 Peter1v5) kept in heaven for us.
2. We should pray, it is another part of the worlds groaning (Rom 8:22) as it waits eagerly for the new creation, another consequence of the fall.
3. Our hope should be obvious to others so much so that they ask us questions about it, and we must be ready to answer them (1 Pet 3:15-16).

Life is fragile, it has been ever since the fall, but the believer can have confidence because our future is secure. Only when we read again and study the words of the Bible and regain a correct view of heaven as our home and this world as the hotel room will we gain a Biblical perspective. We need to hear our Father's words and be comforted by them, be reassured about our real future and security and then live liberated for him.