The implications of human insecurity loom so large, there is at least one whole school of psychology that builds every therapy on the basis of it.
In a way, that’s not far from the truth. I disagree with most of the therapies, but I do agree with the underlying theme. Insecurity is very much the opposite of faith. Insecurity generates fear, anger, despair and a host of other soul-eating emotions. In many ways, almost all dysfunction and maladaptive behavior can be traced to insecurity. Your vulnerability to the control of others is keyed to your insecurities.
The path to peace and security is inside you. Nothing external can answer that need. God knows, the world has tried and is still trying every possible external remedy anyone can imagine. No one has ever been satisfied because no one has ever found peace in that route. It’s inside you. You could easily copy from the old Serenity Prayer because serenity in that context is analogous to security.
In our minds, it boils down to exploring our own personal limits. With patience examine the things in your world you handle well enough to be happy with it. Do not refer to whether others are pleased with it, but whether you are happy with the results. If others find your results useful, then share this thing with them. Be aware of the difference, though. Always be ready to share, but never presume.
At the same time, you simply trust in a higher power for the things you cannot handle. That is, handle the lack of control itself. Don’t frantically search for a control mechanism. Be glad if you find some leverage eventually, but learn early, and consider advice on the matter from those who are serene, on things not really worth pursuing.
All of which is news to no one who gave it any thought. The question of how and what we search for in terms of what we can control is the serious failure of Western Civilization. You cannot build on the West and expect to find serenity because, while the word is recognized with a certain pool of meaning, that meaning is at war with what God has revealed. You cannot ignore God’s revelation and expect to understand reality. That’s because God has revealed most of the answers in broad terms, and has amply explained how to go about discerning the details for yourself.
The primary failure of the West is demanding to know the outcomes and measurements, wasting vast resources on plumbing the depths of things not worth our short time on this plane of existence. God portrays a sense of peace that ignores failure as humans perceive it; that sort of failure has no bearing on whether you did the right thing. The standard of measure is His Justice.
Funny how it all boils down to something so simple: “Do this and you shall live” — where “live” is roughly equivalent to serenity.
