“That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:35 -41
I know this passage in the New Testament is well-known to every one of us. I just appreciate the meaning behind this message when my other relatives and I got COVID during my recent vacation in the Philippines. I believed most of us are afraid of getting infected with this virus. We have seen our relatives, loved ones, and even friends who succumbed to this deadly virus. Our prayer always includes protection for ourselves, our family, and our loved ones from this virus. But what happens if one day, you discover that you are COVID-19 positive?
In our case, we got exposed to one of our relatives who visited our house, not knowing she was already having the symptoms of COVID. When I experienced the common symptoms of COVID – fever, body pains, cough, and colds – I thought that my body was adjusting to the weather. I never thought of COVID because my symptoms were light and manageable until I got myself tested and received the result. I didn’t fear for myself but the people around me.
You see, Jesus was already with the apostles when the storm happened, and yet fear struck them. Fear is an unpleasant emotion that even Christians are not spared. Even the disciples in the story, who woke Jesus up and tried to colonize Jesus’ minds with their fear but they failed. Fear can immediately colonize our minds to the point that we cannot think clearly and reasonably.
At one point this happened to me, so many questions started flooding my mind. I also denied the result at the beginning, thinking it might be a false positive. Then I heard a voice saying, “Be quiet, be still.” At that instant, my clouded mind got cleared. I took the Bible and turned its pages to this story. Later on, I gathered enough courage to tell it to my relatives and even close friends who got exposed to me. My relatives and I started to laugh about the matter. Instead of whining, we immersed ourselves in the Word of God. God gave me this opportunity to show them that there is a living God.
Fear can be crippling but Jesus gave us an antidote to fear by having faithful thoughts. Whatever fearful thoughts we have in our minds, we should replace them with faith. That is why I felt sorry for people who backslide, who lost hope, and even worst, committed suicide because they allow themselves to be dragged down by the devil. If only they put their trust in Jesus. We should also be wary of those people who are trying to induce fear in us. We can choose to be a worrier or choose the other side of the spectrum. If our mind is full of Jesus, then fear cannot penetrate it. The Lord does not give us a spirit of a loser but the spirit of a winner because we are His children. We have His protection and peace. Train to discipline our minds to be a victor, a champion, and a conqueror whatever the situation may be. Remember that life is not all about celebration, there is also sadness, grieving, and loneliness but it is possible to conquer all these through the peace of Jesus Christ.
What are your fears? Surrender it to God and believe that great things will happen. Let us teach our minds to not be a victim of the weather. Jesus is the Lord of this weather. Being a Jesus follower is becoming like Jesus. We have given the power to calm the storm. I pray that each one of us will not look for security and protection in other things but to our God alone.
