Where Does Your Security Lie?

In a small West African village, young Josué waves good-bye to his family and friends. * He then treks off to the big city in search of financial security. Soon after he arrives, however, his hope dims as he realizes that the city does not have streets paved with gold.

STRUGGLING to adjust to city life, Josué becomes quite disillusioned. The big city is far from what he had imagined it would be. All the while, deep in Josué’s heart burns a longing to return to his family and friends in that humble village he left behind. But he fears that some villagers will mock him. ‘They will call me a failure,’ he worries, ‘because I couldn’t make it in the city.’

Weighing even more heavily on him is the disappointment that his parents may feel. They are counting on him for financial assistance. While trying to cope with this emotional burden, Josué works long hours at a menial job and earns only a fraction of what he had dreamed of. He is exhausted from overwork. And the time left for Christian activities, which he values very highly, dwindles with each passing week. So far away from the warmth of his family and old friends, he feels sad and alone. He finds that the city has not given him the security that he desired so much.

Although names and places vary, Josué’s sad story is one that is told and retold. It is not that Josué was being selfish in his desire to move​—he was just seeking security. He sincerely felt that his chances in the city were better than in his small village. Of course, sometimes a person may improve his position materially, but that does not mean real security. It certainly did not for Josué, nor will it most likely for the majority of others who try the same thing. This makes us ask, ‘What is security?’

Security is perceived differently by different people. One dictionary says that security is “freedom from danger” or “freedom from fear or anxiety.” Most people realize that complete “freedom from danger” is nonexistent today. They are satisfied as long as they feel secure, despite the threatening situations that may surround them.

What about you? Where do you look for security? Is it found in the city as opposed to the village, as Josué thought? Or is it in money, regardless of where or how you may obtain it? Is it perhaps in climbing the social ladder? No matter where you believe your security may lie, how long will that security last for both you and your family?

Let us consider three ways in which many individuals seek security​—geographic location; money; position, or status. Then we will examine where genuine, permanent security lies.

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