Dr. Tony Evans implores students to allow eternal perspective to triumph over worry

Liberty University welcomed Dr. Tony Evans to Wednesday’s Convocation, streamed online, as he shared wisdom and encouragement to viewers regarding how to cast worry on the Lord during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evans is a recognized radio and television broadcaster and is also the senior pastor at the nearly 10,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas.

Evans said that he has been struggling through a difficult season of loss in the last couple years as his father, niece, sister, and wife, amongst other family members, have passed away.

“It’s easy to trust God in the light when everything is going well and you are happy with the blessings that are flowing from the river,” Evans said. “But there come those times that you have to trust Him in the dark. We’ve had to trust an all-knowing, all wise, and all-good God. He knows what He is doing even when it doesn’t make sense.”

Evans shared some advice on how to grieve in a healthy way. He said that in the Old Testament, Job was faced with having to trust the Lord even when his questions of why he was going through such torment were not answered.

“I’ve had to trust the character of God even when I don’t know the purposes of God,” Evans said. “You have to maintain a spiritual, eternal perspective.”

Evans then discussed the situation the country is in due to COVID-19. He encouraged parents listening to Wednesday’s Convocation to use this time of quarantine wisely.

“Don’t just be in the same space but utilize that space for building bridges of relationship with your family,” Evans said.

During this time of uncertainty, he said that Christians need to focus on the spiritual purpose for this time instead of fixating on the medicinal or health purposes.

“God uses trials to send spiritual messages,” Evans said. “This is a worldwide trial, so God is sending a worldwide message.”

Evans believes that the Lord is sending a message to the world that it needs to return to Him. Despite the fear that is spreading due to the pandemic, he said Christians do not need to worry.

“Worry is different than concern because worry controls concern,” Evans said. “Worry is concern gone haywire. You know you are worrying and are not just concerned when worry is dictating to you and you are not dictating to it.”

Evans said the pandemic is a practical problem that has called Christians to be practical in their ministry, whether they are buying groceries for an elderly couple or choosing prayer over anxious thinking.

“Whenever you are tempted to worry, that is a call to prayer.”