Agency, Our Greatest Fear

Agency is a beautiful thing. It's profoundly simple, it's meaningful, it's pure, it's what allows us to discover and be ourselves, full of expression and love, and yet it's our greatest fear and we all have it no matter what.

Why would I say agency is our greatest fear? It seems surprising because the principle of agency is ever lauded and never or at least very rarely disparaged.

I am not disparaging agency either. If anything, I am admitting the frailties of human nature. Here's what I mean.

Would you be scared if you woke up to sounds of an intruder in your home? Would you feel fear if someone threatened you or your family? Have you ever felt the horrific fear of an abuser? Have you ever felt the fear of your agency being taken from you?

Getting a little lighter than such heavy subjects, Are you ever afraid of what someone might think of you? Do you feel fear when discussing the economy or politics? Have you ever been afraid you won't have enough money?

Have you felt the fear of failure? Have you felt the fear of success? Have you ever felt afraid that your not good enough?

In fact, is there any fear you have ever experienced that wasn't somehow close-knit with agency, be it your own or of others?

Have you ever felt the fear of your agency being taken from you, either by others or by yourself?

This is me just musing on the thought, doing a bit of a brain dump. I admit vast room for error, but share it as my initial impression that all our fears have existence due to the agency of mankind.

So am I against agency? Do I wish it would just go away? Heavens no!! Emphatically not!!

The triumphs of life are found in overcoming! Fear is overcome by love; they are opposites much like darkness and light. Fear is real just as love is real; they both exist and must exist as opposition in all things requires. Sometimes overcoming deeply ingrained fears with love takes some time. I believe that's okay. Our path and direction are more important than our location, or in other words, our heart is more important than our habits. When we let God change our hearts we are enabled, with no little effort, to thence change our habits.

Agency is a beautiful thing. It's profoundly simple, it's meaningful, it's pure, it's what allows us to discover and be ourselves, full of expression and love, and yet it's our greatest fear and we all have it no matter what.

It is truly God's gift to man.