Fear and Insecurity-

The state of fear and the sense of insecurity are not unreasonable emotional conditions for a human. The world is dangerous, and the future is not assured. Oh, some of us have confidence of a place in Heaven once we have run this race, but while engaged in the business of life the future remains obscured.

The perpetual state of fear and insecurity is unreasonable, however. Absent any immediate threat or eminent disaster, such a state is dissipating. It wastes energy that can be otherwise spent. It places valuable resources in the wrong place. It is wasteful.

One tool of psychological warfare is to heighten that state in the corporate minds of the enemy. It is the tool we used to drive the Soviet Union to dissolution. They could not afford the investment in managing their fear and insecurity. We drove a perceived enemy and unquestionable rival in the world economy into an unstable state, and their state dissolved as a consequence.

We can argue that we won the cold war. I suppose that is a good thing. Now we can concentrate our resources on rebuilding our infrastructure and making our people corporately and individually strong. Oh, wait. A perceived enemy has made us feel insecure and fearful.

More than a perceived enemy. They attacked us, and on our own lands. Now we are pouring resources into huge pits that have no know bottoms. Costly secretive government agencies have proliferated like the weeds they are, and now I have not only some vague enemy to trouble me, but concern about those who don't see a problem in curtailing my freedom to "protect" me.

How can we feel individually secure in times that are not?

I am reminded of a story told me by a friend. He is an Englishman, who served in the British Navy during World War II. He participated in liberating the European continent from the Nazi occupation. In his small ship they sailed to France. They followed the earlier invasion. The role of his vessel was a supporting role.

When they arrived at the coast of France they took on supplies. Some of those supplies were fish caught by French fishermen. One of the British sailors said to one of the fishermen, "I bet you are glad to see us."  The French fisherman replied, "When the Germans were here, I sold them fish. Now you are here. I sell you fish."

The future is not assured. The world is a dangerous place. Even those whose purpose it is to protect you and me are not always what they seem. We could choose to be fearful, and feel insecure.

Or, we can be strong in our skills, in our selves, and know who we are. We can trust in ourselves, and for those of us who so believe we can trust in our God.

Live to the best of your ability, and sell your fish.