The coronavirus is dominating local, national, and international news. But let’s keep it in perspective. At the time of this writing, only 3,043 (0.001%)  of the  331,000,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with the virus and 60 (2%) of those diagnosed have died.[i] Of course, each life is precious and is not to be minimized.

Let’s take a quick look at the nature of a virus. According to scientific research, a virus cannot survive on its own. It must have a host to grow. It enters your body via the air (sneezing and coughing), thru insect carriers, or transmission of body fluids such as blood, saliva, or semen.  Once the virus targets a cell and infects it, it gets aggressive and tries to take over the host completely. It replicates itself and the host cell begins to produce more viral material than normal genetic material. The replicated viruses spread to neighboring cells. They damage healthy cells, causing diseases such as measles, chickenpox and, of course, the flu!  The victim then spreads it to others and continues the cycle.  Of course, if you have a strong immune system, your body produces antibodies that serve as a natural defense against the virus by binding to it and rendering it unable to replicate itself. Now, we all know what it takes to maintain a healthy immune system:  good nutrition, exercise, etc.

But, more destructive than the physical virus is the emotional virus that has currently infected the masses worldwide: fear.   It enters your mind thru the media, other people, and harsh reality.  It causes all kinds of destruction as negative thoughts produce other negative thoughts resulting in endless imagined scenarios of doom and gloom.   And, boy, is it contagious!  You can spread it to others with a single word or expression. Fear becomes a weapon of mass destruction, causing strokes, heart attacks,  hoarding, irrational behavior, and other ills. But the good news is that you can decide not to be its host. You can build up your mental immunity. Here’s how:

• Increase your exposure and knowledge of God’s word and ask him to help you embrace the truth that nothing is too hard for him since he is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present. Understand that anxiety is a state of mind in which you expect a negative outcome. Practice casting down negative expectations by meditating on and memorizing powerful passages like Psalm 91.
• Decrease your exposure to the daily news. Know that negativity and drama draw the most attention so they sell. Positive developments are not always reported.  Research and get your facts and stats regarding the coronavirus from an objective source such as www.cdc.gov and  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries).
• Be prudent and prepare–without panic or hoarding–for adversity but be quick to declare your victory in advance. Recognize that this is a golden opportunity to be a beacon of hope for unbelievers.

It is time to pray without ceasing. Click here https://www.confrontingissues.com/blog/a-scriptural-prayer-against-the-coronavirus-fear-virus/ to download a Scripture-based prayer to help you to stand in the gap for the coronavirus crisis and to resist the virus of fear. And remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32^nd President of the United States, at the height of the Great Depression: “WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF.”

Copyrighted @ 2020 by Deborah Smith Pegues.  All rights reserved ~ www.DeborahPegues.com

[i] Get daily updates at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries)