A Disease Much Worse than Coronavirus

There is a disease that is more deadly than any disease the earth has ever known. It has killed more people than every virus combined, and yet I rarely hear it spoken of. The news media regularly updates the public on the latest Coronavirus statistics, and the virus has become a part of our conversations with friends, family, and strangers at the grocery store. And yet, the most deadly disease of all receives little of our attention.

The symptoms of this disease are varied and horrifying. They include but are not limited to:

• Hatred of other people, even to the point of murder
• The desire to lie, steal, and commit adultery
• Children infected with this disease may bully other children, lie to their parents, and display rebelliousness toward their parents’ instruction.

Some people display extremely mild symptoms, which makes it easy to ignore this disease. But if left untreated, everyone affected, no matter how mild their symptoms appear to be, will die.

Every human on earth is infected with this disease. It is passed from the parents to every child ever born, and it has been this way since the birth of the first children on earth.

Many treatment options have been tried, but all fail except for one. The mortality rate of this disease, no matter what treatment is applied, is 100%. But when the one successful treatment is applied, 100% of those who receive it not only live, but they live forever.

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the disease I’m referring to is sin. We are all infected with it. (1)  It causes all manner of death and destruction here on earth, and for those who do not receive the only Cure, it results in eternal death. (2)

Many do not pay any heed to the seriousness of this disease because they do not seem to be affected in such terrible ways as others. They have never been driven to murder, steal, or commit adultery, and so they fail to recognize that even the less obvious symptoms like pride, covetousness, or using God’s name in vain are still sin and still will result in eternal death. (3)

Many try to cure this disease themselves by “turning over a new leaf,” by spending time with others who have been cured and assuming the cure will apply to them too, or by assuming that their symptoms have not been bad enough to warrant death. (4)

But the truth is that there is only one cure for this disease, and that is to be cleansed from its filthiness. Complete cleansing only comes when one is washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. (5)

Everyone who will be washed, will be made clean and will be cured from this disease.  (6)

The disease of sin has left death and destruction in its wake all around the world. Even the diseases about which we are currently so concerned are a result of sin’s influence on this earth.

People are rushing to prepare themselves for the possibility of the Coronavirus hitting their area. Where is the rush to prepare for the coming judgment of God?

Courageous doctors and nurses risk their health to care for those infected with deadly diseases around the world. Do we have the same concern for those who are infected with the disease of sin?

As a domestic violence advocate, I see and hear about the horrific effects of sin on a regular basis. I see the cruelty that a sinful heart is willing to inflict upon another human being. I’m all for the law holding accountable anyone who would harm another person in any way. But I also realize that better laws and accountability will not ultimately stop hatred, abuse, assault, and murder. Those things come from the heart, and while a perpetrator may sit behind bars, if his heart is not cleansed from its filthiness he will never change.

The only hope for abusers and their victims is the Gospel. The only hope for thieves and their victims is the Gospel. The only hope for liars and their victims is the Gospel. The only hope for any of us is the Gospel!

Should we acknowledge and prepare for worldwide diseases? Should we take action on behalf of the 6 women who are killed by a partner or family member every single hour? Should we insist that people who would sexually assault another individual be removed from the streets?

Absolutely, yes! But the root of all these terrible things is sin, and the only remedy is Jesus! Through him, murderers, pedophiles, thieves and liars can be cleansed from their filthiness. Through him, people who are moral but can never attain the standard of perfection God requires can be cleansed from their sin. In him, the victims of heinous crimes and abuses can find unconditional, healing love.

So while we speak of diseases, crimes, and abuses and brainstorm solutions to these problems, let us not forget to speak of Jesus. Let us not lose Him in the midst of these important conversations, for He is the most important solution of all.

(1) Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

(2) John 3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

(3) James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

(4) Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

(5) John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

(6) John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Finding Time for God When You Can Hardly Find Time to Breathe

With a house full of children, it's generally busy and loud! Finding time for God seems like a monumental task!

But spending time with God isn't really about marking something off a to-do list. It's about being mindful of our relationship with Him. He loves us and he wants to be with us. And when we realize just how much he loves us, we will want to be with him too. When we have a true relationship with God, it will be more about acknowledging his presence with us always; not just a one-time formal event that we  might call “devotions.”

When you're a mom with young children in the house, it can be extremely difficult to find time for a designated Bible and prayer time.  When I had small children and toddlers, I was busy from the time my feet hit the floor until I finally fell asleep at night – wiping noses, changing diapers, cleaning up messes, and listening to childish chatter.  But, oh how desperately I needed the Lord!  Most days the first two words I thought of when I woke up were either “Help, Lord!”  or “Lord, help!”  Managing a household and nurturing young souls is HARD! There is no way I could do what needs to be done with my own strength and wisdom.

I'm sure many, many of you are in the same boat, so I want to share some practical ways I have found to stay mindful of God's presence even when it's not possible to get up earlier than everyone else and have a dedicated quiet time.

1. Memorize scripture – Even if you have only a minute or two of quiet time, you can make that time go further if you spend that time putting scripture to memory rather than just reading it. You can then spend time meditating on God's Word all throughout the day, and you're not confined to whatever quiet time you may have the chance to enjoy.  (See also: 10 Ways to Help Your Child Memorize Scripture – these will work for you too!)

2. Keep scripture around the house – This goes along with #1.  You can be thinking on the words of Scripture as you see it throughout the house.  It only takes a little effort to print out verses and post them all around the house.  I can remember memorizing several verses as a child just because they were hung in places where I would frequently look.  Over time I just simply knew them without even trying. (Find a free printable of Philippians 4:8 right here.)

3. Pray in the shower or while you're getting dressed – It may only be a few moments, but these are moments of quiet that you can claim to connect with God.

4. Read and pray with your children – If your children are already awake when you wake up, you don't have to forgo reading your Bible or praying.  You can simply allow your children to join you.  That way you can still learn from the Bible, and your children can learn as well. They'll also see how important it is to depend on the Lord every day and learn to treasure the scriptures for themselves.  (See also: How to Help Young Children Develop Their Own Relationship with God)

5. Meditate on scripture as you fall asleep – Rather than letting your mind race thinking about all the things you have to do the next day, meditating on Scripture can quiet your thoughts and keep your focus on Christ rather than on your problems.

6. Keep a Bible handy – If you keep multiple Bibles stashed in different places around your home, you can pick one up in the cracks of your time and read a little bit.

7. Listen to scripture on audio – there are several audio versions of the Bible available. Search apps on your phone for Scripture on audio.  You can listen to scripture as you do your work around the house or drive somewhere.  We also use these Scripture song CD‘s for our kids to keep scripture going in the house throughout the day.

Can you think of any other ways to stay mindful of God's presence even when life is busy?