We live in a world full of people defending their emotional security.

I kept thinking about Eli’s question from last week long after our cold walk was over.

“Why don’t you ever yell at us?”

At first, I thought about it as a parent.
The longer I sat with it, the more I realized it wasn’t just about parenting.

It was about living in a world that feels dangerous — not because of bears, famine, or disease — but because of threats we’ve created ourselves: noise, speed, comparison, pressure, comments, addiction, and the fear of being left out or falling behind.

When we feel the threat, stress appears...and people yell.

In just the last few months, these “threats” have crossed my mind:

• My son is wearing hand-me-down football cleats.
• Our daughter’s basketball shoes do not match the others.
• A 17-year-old driving a car instead of a truck.
• Our vacations aren’t as long, our vehicles are older, our bank account is smaller.

No wonder we go to bed exhausted.

Not because we’ve walked 18 miles, shoveled grain, or slept on the ground — but because we’ve created a world full of emotional enemies (many of them hidden) that make it feel like something is always chasing us.

My conclusion

For the most part, we’re physically safe.
Our environments are controlled: cars, offices, homes
Our basic needs are met.

Yet the emotional stress and fear we’ve manufactured have left us defending our peace and happiness.

We live in a world full of people defending their emotional security.

This instinct makes sense. Humans evolved to protect themselves from real danger. Millions of years ago, the world was dark, cold, and deadly. Predators lurked outside the cave. Hunger and famine were constant.

But now?

Food is everywhere.
Our doors lock.
Climate control is standard.

And still, we move through our days thinking, I’m defending my survival.

Consider the things we’ve created that now drive the leading causes of death in the United States:

• Chronic stress
• Processed diets
• Sedentary lifestyles
• Social isolation
• Sleep deprivation

Bright lights. Loud noises. Fast food. Fast friends.
We absorb these “threats” daily — often by choice — then spend the rest of the day defending against them.

We feel under threat nearly every moment: sugar, weight, caffeine, alcohol, addiction, finances, conflict, aging. Even wrinkles, love handles, and thinning hair become battles.

Here’s the irony:
Most of these things… we’ve produced.

And now we’re exhausting ourselves trying to survive them.

But progress isn’t made on defense.

The ball moves down the court when we’re confident in where we are — secure in the gifts we’ve been given.

At the end of the day, why does it feel so good to sit down and do nothing?

Because you’re finally safe.
It’s quiet.
There are no threats.
You’re no longer defending.

And that’s the realization:
Most of us aren’t actually in danger at all.

Yet we live every day bracing for impact, guarding, protecting ourselves from things that can’t kill us — but can slowly exhaust us.

We weren’t designed to live on defense forever.

So get out of the danger zone.
Step off the hamster wheel.

Come see us at Lone Oak for a moment.
Stop. Breathe. Think. Enjoy.

Remain encouraged,
Brian