Tim Jackson, in his helpful booklet titled “When Fear seems overwhelming: Finding courage and hope” began his work by citing a famous quote from President Roosevelt. He spoke these words in March of 1933, but they are applicable today. He said,
“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have
to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which
paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
I have to confess that I had only seen the beginning of
the quote. That part is famous. But it was helpful for me to learn the full
context. Roosevelt was saying that we
should be wary of fear that grips us, paralyzes us, and debilitates us. Doesn’t that sound relevant to us in 2020?
This has been a difficult year for so many people. I have felt the added burdens, pressures, and
anxieties in 2020 in my own life as well.
But recently I have faced new challenges. Let me share that with you:
On Tuesday, October 20th, I wasn’t feeling well, and so I
called in sick to my job. However, this
experience was different than it usually is.
I was told that I was going to have to be tested for covid-19 before I
could return to work. To make a long
story short, the restaurant has been closed down for a few weeks now. The details have been very hush-hush; I was
told we closed as a “precaution”. While I
do know there was one positive case of covid-19 (and thankfully it wasn’t me;
my test came back negative), once again, everyone has been very tight-lipped
and I don’t want to deal in speculation.
The bottom line is, I’m feeling fit and healthy. But I
have had to sit on the sidelines, and wait until this new chapter ends until I
am able to return to work (which is supposed to be sometime this week). Not only this, but I have had to deal with
car repairs, a large bill for a new set of tires, and what my pastor called “pre-election
stress.” It is easy to feel fear and
anxiety in all of this. That’s why I
began with that Roosevelt quote; we have to fight against crippling fear – that
“unjustified terror” – which paralyzes us.
Finally, I would also add that you and I need to choose
to put our trust in the magnificent God of the universe. Back to the quote from my pastor, while I don’t
have his exact words in front of me, he said, “Some of you are dealing with
pre-election stress. And God says to you
today, ‘Relax. I’ve got this.’ You’re wondering, ‘What about this? What about that?’ And God says, ‘Relax. I’ve got this.’” I needed that reminder yesterday, and you
probably do too! I love Psalm 112:7; and
I want to live it out on a daily basis: “His heart is steadfast, trusting in
the Lord.”
Kevin
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