It confuses and concerns me to see people in HAZMAT suits spraying down the sidewalks in order to prevent the spread of Ebola. I am having trouble reconciling that with the assurance that Ebola can only be transmitted from bodily fluids, but the CDC knows what they are doing. I am glad they are taking precautions in order to halt the spread of this disease. I totally support the enforcement of all the rules and regulations that are being instituted for the sake of stopping the spread of Ebola. As uneducated as most of us are as to the specifics of Ebola and as vulnerable as we all are to its devastating effects, I would assume each of us would readily and quickly comply with any guidance an expert would offer to guard our health and wellbeing.
This disease is so dangerous and it does not take much convincing for those exposed to its threat to adhere to the regimen established to protect them. Wearing the bulky protective suits probably doesn’t feel like a burden when you consider how beneficial wearing it can be. The threat is great, so the rules are easier to follow.
When we recognize the magnitude of disaster, we readily obey the rules set in place to avoid the disaster. We follow the leaders who have been appointed to defend us. We are not tempted to argue or rebel.
“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:28-32 (NLT)
Dear friends, we have been warned by THE expert. God’s word is written for us so that we can know the truth. We live in a dangerous place and we have an enemy who wants to expose us to dangerous and destructive things. It is imperative that we do all we can do to avoid the diseased practices of quarreling, gossip, greed, pride and hate. We need to see that God’s rules are not restrictive as much as they are protective. He has given us the HAZMAT suit of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t just protect us, but he fights the evil one for us. We have been given the tools to fight our enemy who is always working to destroy us. We are blessed to be given the full armor, but we have to put it on. When we recognize how big a threat sin is to our lives, it is much easier to follow the rules established to protect us. Our enemy is much more destructive than Ebola, but our advocate is much stronger than protective suits or vaccines. This is a battle that we can win and that Christ has already won for us.
We need to get away from the teenage mindset of all rules being burdensome. My teens seem to think that curfews, speed limits, and academic discipline among other rules are stifling, old-fashioned and unnecessary. Pat and I have not enforced rules in order to handcuff our children. We establish rules that will protect them and give them greater opportunities for future joy and freedom.
The rules we have been given in the Bible are also for our future joy and freedom. I want to be of a mindset where I would avoid temptations to sin like Ebola. I would never mouth kiss a person who has Ebola, so why would I ever be tempted to covet or envy? The danger is great and so we need to see that the warnings for avoiding the danger are protective gifts.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)