I should exude faith: I am the editor of a Christian website and a pastor at a local church.

But the truth is I can feel the rising fear: I am a father to young school-going children. They attend one of the enrichment centres with a known case, and in one of the schools that went to Home Based Learning after a child there tested positive for Covid-19.

Even though the cases were not on the same level as my kids, I couldn’t help worrying.

I know the fear, anxiety – maybe even panic – going through every parents’ heart now.

I feel it trying to get a rise out of me; I read it in every class WhatsApp group I’m on; I hear it from the parents in my church.

It is a very real concern for all us parents, more so with each day bringing reports of more cases among children, more affected tuition centres, and now the nationwide Home Based Learning which starts this Wednesday (May 19).

Every parent out there knows this feeling: If it were just me, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But the thought that one of my children might be at risk brings a very visceral, raw, desperate worry to the fore.

They’re innocent, Lord. Mercy, Lord.

I’m battling all these feelings even though I’ve never been a worrier.

Fear, I constantly tell my wife, is the most useless emotion. It just clouds issues and obscures possible solutions.

But a few weeks ago I faced a situation where we thought one of my children may have been in some danger. (I promised not to reveal any details so as to spare my child the embarrassment, but suffice it to say that it was a false alarm.)

In my 41 years, I have never felt more worried than in the two hours before the situation was diffused. It was an indescribable mess of emotions. Anger. Frustration. Disappointment at myself. And an overwhelming helplessness. My child was in danger (or so I thought, wrongly as we later found out) – but nothing I tried was helping.

At such times, all you can really do is pray.

That day, I heard in my voice a new tenor to my prayers. Not routine, but real. Not perfunctory, but necessary. Not to a distant God, but desperate, to a God I needed to hear from.

That day, I was reminded again that God is real; I was reminded of the need to turn to Him first and foremost for my child’s wellbeing; I was reminded of the need to step up my prayer.

So: How will we respond to this global, growing threat our children are facing? How will we respond to it looming right at the doorstep of their classrooms?

I don’t believe that God sent Covid-19. But I believe that through this situation, God is calling Christian parents to three needs that I think are more needful now than ever before.

AS CASES SURGE, 3 THINGS GOD IS CALLING US TO DO AS PARENTS:

1. We need to build strong family altars of praise and prayer

We must understand that our struggle is not merely against a virus, or against the painful adjustment to Home Based Learning. We must understand the reality of Ephesians 6:12, which says:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This escalating situation is a call to arms. It is a spiritual battle, and our response must be to pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

When the virus seems to be targetting children, and therefore families, the family must come together to pray. There is power in praying in unity and agreement (Matthew 18:19-20).

How should you start? Just start! As a family, set aside time each day to pray. (It’s easier since everyone’s home together now.)

Declare afresh that God is the Head of your household (Joshua 24:15). Worship together. Pray blessings over each other (start with Psalms 91 and 121). Pray for their schools and their friends.

Oh, and if you haven’t been praying as a family prior to this, don’t fall into the trap of feeling guilty. That’s just how the evil one would want you to respond. It is always the right time to galvanise your family to pray. And don’t be too self-conscious about praying “in the right way”. Let the Holy Spirit help you (Romans 8:26-27).

2. We need to be our children’s primary role model of how to live by faith 

As you build your family altar, you are moving your child’s locus of faith from the church to your home. Children’s pastors and Sunday School teachers are awesome, but faith is better built in-house than outsourced.

With religious classes (and therefore Sunday School) not allowed for now under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) guidelines, if we don’t take ownership of discipling our children, then the Internet will. 

Perhaps, you might say with a tinge of embarrassment, you’re not the best role model for the kids. Frankly, God knows it too – if you were perfect, He wouldn’t have had to send His Son Jesus to save you.

Maybe this is the wake-up call some of us need to get our own spiritual walk in order. With WFH + HBL, our children will see us virtually every waking moment.

If we are full of anxiety or anger, that’s what they’ll learn from us. But if they see us choosing faith over fear, prayer over panic (Philippians 4:6-7) – when they meet their own storms in life, they’ll have your example to look back upon.

We need to be the Fathers and Mothers of Psalm 78:4-7 – doing whatever it takes to ensure the next generation knows God like we do.

3. We need to learn to parent by godly faith, not by worldly wisdom

Back to the current situation. Based on online forums, Facebook, and WhatsApp chats, parents of school-going children are flustered by the changes, outraged about why cases have gone up, and fearful for their kids’ safety.

The world is descending into helplessness and hopelessness. We know, on the other hand, that we have help and hope. We have the Holy Spirit.

The world has lots of wisdom to offer on the situation – when schools should have closed, how the borders should be run, how online learning should be conducted. They hope that by implementing all this, they can help their children survive and succeed.

But we know who truly preserves and prospers us: “The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive.” (Deuteronomy 6:24)

Now is the time for fear – not fear as the world understands it, but the fear of the Lord! This means knowing that God is sovereign, superior, and so worth following.

It is the promise of our promise-keeping Covenantal God, that as we fear the Lord our God – He keeps us alive.

Lord, have mercy on our children.

MORE STORIES ON CHOOSING FAITH OVER FEAR:

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