Everyone can agree that we are living in interesting times.

There have been hurricanes, earthquakes, famines and pestilences in our present day but according to history, this is nothing new. We who are alive now have no frame of reference from the actual experiences of those who lived centuries ago. We only know what we have learned through artifacts and historical writings. We can read the stories of the Bible and history books but nothing compares to actually having first hand knowledge. It is like the people who appear “religious” or spiritual and claim to have actually had personal life changing experiences. Nobody can ever relate to such claims unless they have personally experienced something supernatural themselves.

What is very interesting is that the natural world around us does not understand the spiritual world. There is matter and there is spirit and spirit supersedes matter. Examples of this are what we call miracles. The things that have no explanation as to how they occur but yet we have scientific evidence that they did in fact occur.

You may ask, what does all of this spirit and matter stuff have to do with fear and the virus? Let me explain. Fear has been described as False Evidence Appearing Real and it has also been known to be of a spiritual kind. One thing that we know for sure, fear has the power to paralyze us and cripple our lives.

As someone who grew up with what is termed “panic disorder with agoraphobia," I have known what it is like to live with fear. Agoraphobia can be described as a fear of the marketplace, usually manifested in open and ironically at times, closed spaces. There have been people that have been paralyzed with fear so intensely that they are unable to leave their homes. I have even heard of people who have not been able to leave a particular room in their homes. All you have to do is research it and you will discover that it is more common than you may think. According to Mayo Clinic and other sources, Agoraphobia has more than 200,000 US cases reported each year. Furthermore, we also know that phobias, which are based on irrational beliefs, are extremely common today. We feel whatever it is that we believe although it may or may not be true.

This leads me to the purpose in writing this blog. It is obvious that people are doing the natural things to protect themselves from the current virus including personal hygiene and social distancing. The real question is, are people doing what they need to do to protect themselves from the increasing fear and its potential effects?

How do you combat the real enemy, the fear of the virus?

First you must feed your mind on what is true and not what is untrue or unknown. Do you notice that the more you think upon the things that are not life giving, the more you tend to fear the worst or even death? This is why it is absolutely vital that you guard your mind to the negative reports all around you. Stay informed so you know what to pray for (if you do in fact pray) but do not stay glued to the news media reports all day. Furthermore, since the mind and the body are connected, the influence of fear has a negative impact on the body. Stress, worry and doubt are all fear based.

There are many spiritual leaders that currently have a positive message and these messages are easily accessible to us at any time through the internet. There are also many positive uplifting songs that you can listen to throughout the day to keep your mind focused upon those things that are pure, true and praiseworthy. Finally, there are many encouraging spiritual books that you can read to uplift your spirit. In fact, at this time, many are finding encouragement by reading the Bible.

As important as it is for you to surround yourself with positive uplifting messages, videos, books and music, surround yourself with people that are of the same mind and spirit. There may only be a few people in your life that are positive and encouraging. Under the circumstances, you don't need a crowd anyway, just a few will do.

In conclusion, one of the best things that you can do is to give out what you have been given. Fear feeds upon the self and how to preserve the self. When the focus is taken off of the self and focused toward another, the fear subsides. If you have the opportunity to give in any way (donating money to charity, calling and encouraging a friend, praying for others, etc.), do it and you will see a shift from fear to love.

The real key to combat the virus is to combat the fear it potentially can create within yourself. This can only be done through faith, hope and love. Choose these things over the power of fear!