Don't Be an Ostrich or Chicken Little

Ostriches don't actually bury their hands in the sand when they're afraid.  I don't know how this got started but they do bury their eggs and their heads go into sand to turn their eggs under the sand.  But despite the fact that ostriches don't bury their heads when threatened it is the popular conception of an ostrich.

Chicken Little is a story about a chicken that overreacts and believes the sky is falling.  In the story Chicken Little dwells on a bad thing that happened and as she dwells on it the situation feels worse and worse.  The sky is falling!

In the time of COVID-19 Christians must be neither an ostrich or Chicken Little.

Don't get me wrong... the COVID-19 pandemic is real.  A woman whose mother helped start the church I belong to had a friend younger than my parents die.  A pastor in a small town down the road from us in on a ventilator right now from it.  COVID-19 is serious and should be taken seriously.

What I mean by be neither an ostrich or Chicken Little is this: don't bury your head in the sand and ignore it and don't park your thoughts on it for an extended amount of time.

Don't be the ostrich.

Some Christians I have come across have the thinking that since they are Heaven bound they couldn't care less if the earth goes to Hell.  They have some concern with their friends and neighbors eternal salvation but not enough.  They would rather think not so much about Heaven but about getting the hell out of here.  Their thoughts about God ignores the whole "For God so loved the world..." side.  Their thoughts forget the tender, compassionate heart of their Savior.  They view Christianity as an escapist religion rather than a world changing truth.

Don't be Chicken Little.

Other people I know have their minds fixated on the pandemic.  Every thought they have is about the very real severity of this viral pandemic.  Every conversation is about how horrible things are.  As they think about COVID-19 they think of it in helpless ways instead of finding creative ways to love their neighbors.  As they think of the novel coronavirus they ignore the family they are getting extra time to love face to face.  They worry about it and read about it while their kids are asking to read The Cat in the Hat.

(Full disclosure: I'm more prone to be Chicken Little in this than the ostrich.  Pray I overcome that.)

So, let's think about this pandemic rightly.  Let's think about it Biblically (you can read my thought on that here and here.) But while we must think rightly about it we can't think exclusively about it.  We are not God!  Our mental health can't endure thinking about this in its most negative way both night and day.  We must have an outlet for the positive.

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable... if anything is excellent or praiseworthy... think about such things.  Philippians 4:4-8

Find time to rejoice in the Lord.  Remember that He is in charge, that He is good, and loving and strong.  Let everyone see your gentleness, or reasonableness in other translations.  Don't waste time with anxiety but take each worry and give it to God and be thankful that you can.  And He will give you His peace. 

Then Paul gives us a tool to be able to rid ourselves of anxiety.  Remember, we must always remove a thought and then replace it with another because our brains can't be a vacuum.  Instead of thinking of the negative at all times, take time to dwell on the positives.  See the good around you.  See your children that are at the dinner table instead of practice or a friend's house.  And above all look at the very definition of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy... look at God in the person of Christ.

Don't be Chicken Little or the ostrich.  Your community needs you to be neither and you need you to be neither.  Find a way to be His sheep instead today.