About 25 years ago, I took a class on how to manage people. Today, I don't remember much about it, except that we had a very long and heated discussion about money not being a prime motivator. I don't remember much about the discussion except the phrase about money not being a prime motivator. What we decided were prime motivators has been lost. After all, I'm old. But, after thinking about it, observing our culture and the mass media, I have come to believe that the prime motivator today is FEAR.
We fear terrorists so we are willing to allow increased governmental interference in our lives. We fear illness and death so we spend billions on surgery, medicines, herbal remedies. We fear losing our looks or our hair so we have plastic surgery or hair transplants. We fear not being in the 'hip' crowd so we overspend on clothes, jewelry, cars, houses etc. We fear for our jobs so we compromise our principles. We fear the government so we are silent when we should speak out.
We fear being ostracized for taking an unpopular stance so we just go along. We are a fearful culture.
As a follower of Jesus, what does all this mean for me? In reading scripture, it seems that God, or Jesus, or angels are always saying 'fear not.' So, if God says not to be afraid, why am I so fearful? Is it because I really don't believe Him? Or is it because of my sinfulness? Is my focus on Him or me? I tend to believe that it is because I am a sinner, so wrapped up in myself that I won't believe Him. I want to but my carnal self seems to have the upper hand. I feel a lot like the man who asked Jesus to increase his faith and like Paul when he said that he did the things he didn't want to do and not the things he wanted to do. And, also like Paul, I say thanks be to God Who Christ Jesus rescued me from this body of death!
I pray that my faith does increase and that I increasingly meditate on the beautiful gift of grace that is mine through the Cross. Amen!