People all around us are seemingly in a panic. What about you? How should we react to the events going on in the world and in our nation? While there is apparently a new virus that can and has and will cause sickness and even death to some, many of us have endured greater threats and larger crises and have lived to talk about them! What IS somewhat new to our current situation is the reaction of fear that seems to be overwhelming so many. God speaks a lot about fear in His Word because it is a temptation that leads to anxiety, doubt and despair. All of the “What if’s???” suddenly become real in the minds of those who do not know the pathway to peace of heart and mind. The Philippians certainly had multiple reasons to be anxious. Christians faced not only the same threat of disease as others, but they also faced the real possibility of persecution. Yet Paul called them to “Rejoice in the Lord!” He told them NOT to be anxious about ANYTHING!! Fear and anxiety are temptations to be faced by setting our minds on Christ! People often believe the lie that you cannot control your emotions, but God tells us that our emotions can be controlled by our thinking. It is not by ignoring problems and trials, but by putting them in their proper context that you will discover the pathway to peace of heart and mind … the “peace that surpasses understanding!” May you find that peace today as you rejoice in the Lord!!!