By admin 
It’s just before midnight. Everyone else in my house is asleep, but I’m still awake. My phone glows in the dark as I scroll endlessly through negativity.
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It could be economic news. Or political news. Or something on Facebook, Instagram or X. Whatever appears on the screen, we keep scrolling, chasing the next dopamine hit of dread.
In my life, I spend a lot of time worrying about the world in which my kids will grow up. Will it be safe? Can I ever retire? Will we ever be able to refinance our house?
Even if I put the phone down, gas costs around $6 a gallon. A family meal at Chick-fil-A costs around $60 to feed two adults and two small kids who eat only chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. It costs more than $500 to take the kids to a Christmas performance by one of our favorite singers.
It’s a scary world when we’re alone, living inside our heads. In solitary despair, we jump to worst-case scenarios, such as artificial intelligence taking our jobs and threatening our existence.
Terrible things happen in our community and our world when we lose our connection to family, to joy and to something larger than ourselves. Alone with our thoughts, we forget that there are answers to the questions that torment us.
In my life, my wife and family bring me joy, and Jesus brings me peace.
This isn’t to disrespect the beliefs of others — Jesus is who I believe in. We all need to find peace in our own way as an answer to the distractions that trouble our minds and souls. Peace doesn’t come when we covet things or believe we are better than others. Peace begins with humility.
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The Bible acknowledges we live in a fallen world, one of dysfunction, pain and self-centeredness. Jesus warns not to “store up for yourselves treasures on earth” and instead “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Jesus said (Matthew 6:21, NIV).
Jesus doesn’t want my family to starve. He isn’t indifferent toward suffering on earth. But he is infinitely more concerned with what I love and warns that loving worldly things will let me down. He fed thousands of hungry people, healed the blind and raised the dead. He cares deeply about the state of the world; he just doesn’t seem to think it’s what matters most.
As one of Jesus’ apostles wrote: “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17, NIV).
My love of worldly things is what I need to be saved from.
When I’m lying there, angry and afraid in the dark, I ask him for help. I put the phone down on the nightstand and ask him for connection.
I only found a Savior when I realized I need to be saved.
Matt Fleming is an opinion writer living in Placer County. You can follow him on X @Flemingwords or connect via email: [email protected].