Discerning the Anger Economy

The Fourth of July weekend is an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. It may also be a time to exercise discernment in a volatile world with so much uncertainty and fear. It is understandable to be concerned about the future of our children and grandchildren, yet we ought to be cautious when various media channels prompt us to doubt God’s sovereignty and control over the affairs of this world.

Social media influencers and media outlets know that anger and fear generate interest and followers. There are computational algorithms that seek to influence behavior and leverage data that is based on preferences. People and organizations gain power and money from the “anger economy,” and it’s something we all need to be aware of and exercise discernment.

Can you sense a nagging feeling of dread among God’s people?

If you polled grandparents who are members of your church and asked on a scale of 1 to ten how anxious they are about their grandchildren’s future in this country, I imagine the number to be quite high.

The consequences of sin, the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms, and the rumors of war and famine are nothing new to our world.

What is new to our world is access to information and how it can affect our perspective. Savvy world leaders and power brokers are learning the importance of tapping into fear and anger. Companies scare people into buying their product and service. Scam artists are becoming more adept. And for the older generation that did not grow up with the internet, computers, and digital platforms, it’s very difficult to discern and process the information flow from many different sources.

Perhaps the greatest concern about the ability to discern the anger economy is that it can instill overbearing fear and worry.

Did you know that digital marketing companies often need to put a cap on the number of people over the age of 55 who click their Facebook ads?

If a spending cap is not set, this age group will dominate their spending budget that is based on the number of clicks.

Why is this important to know?

Digital influencers are adept at using “click-bait” to engage people so they can gain more followers or make a profit. Political influencers and media hosts shrewdly utilize fear and anger to promote their version of truth. A regular diet of this type of information flow will cloud our ability to exercise a biblical view to properly discern current events.

When the future appears cloudy, uncertain, and scary, it is easy for Christians to have a bunker mentality. This can have an impact on personal evangelism. Fear can cause us to not engage people for the sake of the gospel.  Eroding trust in God’s Word and his ability to change hearts and minds can cause us to trust in political “messiahs” or agendas for security and peace.

We can rightly have concerns about the future of our country. At the same time, we live in a time where “nothing is new under the sun.” God’s promises remain true. A steady diet of his Word and daily applying biblical discernment amidst turmoil and disaster in a digital world is something that can be addressed for the seasoned faithful.

One last thought

Pastor Ed Schuppe served as a WELS mission counselor for many years. He enjoyed coming to Praise and Proclaim training weekends when I had the opportunity to lead people to go door-to-door witnessing. Afterwards, when people shared their experiences and how the Lord conquered their fears, I asked Pastor Schuppe to share his perspective. He would often start out by saying this,

“The devil is not happy with you today.”

Emboldened with courage through his Word, the devil is apt at bringing discouragement. Heartened to be his witnesses that is prompted by God’s love, the devil is prone to cause us to lose heart. Those chosen by Christ are marked by the devil — especially whenever we step out of our comfort zones to proclaim our trust in God’s promises with others.

So, be strong. Take heart. Trust that it’s a great day to be God’s messengers.