Fear Sells, I Buy

Media thrives on fear. It sells newspapers, magazines, TV programming.

If you don't believe it, just think about what makes you click a link on the CNN home page to learn more or what makes you pick up a magazine or stay tuned to the news instead of using the clicker to change channels. Popular topics this week include possible large gasoline price increases, drug side effects, storms, the economy and social security, and avoiding buying a car that will give you lots of problems. Plenty of fuel for worrying. Fear is about what could be, what could happen.

Even casual Bible students are aware that commands and teaching about not being fearful compose one of the most frequent topics in scripture. Not fearing and not worrying are one of the major themes of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Jesus points out that God takes exceptional care of the birds and the flowers, and that he will take even better care of us. And he points out that we have no control over our futures. His message is "Trust God."

Our problem is that we want to trust ourselves. That's my problem for sure. And media suggests that by giving me the right information -- and by me paying attention and reading or listening to their story -- that I can take care of my future.

Our rule for living seems to be, "If I have enough knowledge, I can make the right choices and do the right things so that bad things don't happen to me." And there's just enough truth in that to make it insidious.

The problem is that there is never enough information or knowledge to insure safety, or success, or avoidance of whatever it is that we think will be bad. So no matter how much we learn or how "good" our decisions and plans are, we still face the very real possibility that things will not turn out as we think. That drives us to keep trying to find more information, more knowledge. And that is why media is such a big business.

Bottom line, though, it's about control. Am I in control, or is God in control? Can I get enough knowledge so that I can take care of my future -- so that I can be my own God?

I know down deep that the answer is "No!" So why do I keep trying? Why would I want to be my own God? I know that by myself I'll mess it up. So why not just give it over to God, who already has all the knowledge -- and all the power? Is it because I like to be fearful, because I like to worry?