As an inspirational speaker, I often compare our makeup — mind, body, and spirit to a three-legged stool. We spend many years developing our mind at higher levels of education. We spend hours developing our body through healthy meal planning and exercise. But if we ignore the third leg of the stool, our spiritual development, then we either topple over or we are not as strong as we need to be.

How are we doing during this coronavirus crisis? Are we as strong as we need to be? I am seeing and watching a lot of fear and panic. I too have had my moments of worry and questioning. Yet, I don’t want to topple over. Do you?

One encouraging thing about having a strong spiritual leg is that when those temporary moments of worry do come, we can clip its wings…immediately. We can stand firm. By standing firm in faith, we protect the other two legs.

With a strong spiritual leg, a strong faith, we can use wisdom to keep our mind from despair, distraught, and panic. The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” James 1:5 (NIV). Therefore, let’s all seek God for the wisdom we need during our times of worry and anxiety, especially when we are facing a national crisis. I speak from experience. God does answer and gives us a peace that guards our hearts and our minds.

  With a strong spiritual leg, a strong faith, we can use our current level of health to protect and strengthen our body. By knowing our own level of health, we know what safety measures, what guidelines we need to follow to not only protect ourselves, but others. Again, the Bible says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV). Remember this as a promise. A strong spiritual leg has value for All THINGS because “it is in him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:28 (NIV).

In closing let me encourage you to stand firm in facing the coronavirus crisis. Do not let your mind and body weaken because the third leg of your stool, your spiritual life is broken. Embrace joy, happiness, peace, and faith. Embrace God and his offer of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ. His will is that we all come to him for the “promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” Proverbs 17:22 (NLT).