While looking through some family photo albums, I came across a picture of my daughter, she was probably 4 years old at the time and in the picture she is fast asleep, wrapped tightly in her favorite yellow blanket.
I had completely forgotten about this blanket. It was nondescript, plain yellow and thin; nothing marked it as special, yet, to my daughter it was very important. She carried it around the house, in the car and always had it during naptime and bedtime. She would let our dog cuddle with her in it and would throw a temper tantrum when it came time to wash it!
That blanket got a lot of love and in return it gave my daughter a sense of security.
Her security blanket.
Did you know the term “security blanket” actually comes from the Peanuts comic with Linus and his ever-present blanket?
One might think that security blankets are childish and only for the young; I would argue that we adults oftentimes have our own security blankets that we carry around without even knowing it!
Blankets that we count on to give us a sense of security and in turn reduce our anxiety and stress.
What does your blanket look like?
Is it a job? A bank account? A person? A possession?
I have come to realize for me, it is a possession.
Land.
Land, that has been in our family for generations and to which these past 15+ years I have cherished and have placed all my hopes and dreams.
So, what’s wrong with that?
Everything.
Because, I’m clinging to the wrong security blanket!
The Bible tells us-
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19
The fact is there are no guarantees in this life. Just because I own this land today doesn’t mean it is guaranteed for tomorrow. In the blink of an eye it could be taken from me- fire, natural disaster or a financial crash.
My future isn’t in this land rather it is in God.
One man knew this lesson well, Abraham the father of the Jewish nation. God promised to multiply his descendants “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” His descendants would become a great nation that God would call his own- all Abraham had to do was believe and be obedient.
Abraham demonstrated his faith many times from being willing to give up his home and leave for a foreign land to even being willing to sacrifice his own son!
Abraham was a remarkable man and in spite of God’s promises to make him great, Abraham didn’t own so much as an acre, he lived in tents and moved from place to place!
The father of the Jewish nation didn’t live in a palace and didn’t own any land yet, was great because of his trust in God!
Abraham understood that this life was transitory. He understood that all his hope, trust and security were found in God alone. That possessions and things in this life were temporary.
He understood that the only thing in this life that never changes and can be trusted fully is God- not things, not places and not even people!
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2
Where do we place our security-our hope?
There is no job, no treasure, no health report, no relationship, and no childhood memory that can be counted on to bring lasting security.
Only God can be counted on because he never changes. He can be trusted because there is no darkness or deceit within Him.
He is our rock, our fortress, our salvation and our hope!
When we let go of the security blankets that ground us to this world, only then can we be like Abraham, able to wander free, counting the stars and God’s promises that can never fail.
Father, may we always place all our hope and trust in you alone. Forgive us for the times that we have clung to security blankets in this life that become tattered and fade. May we focus on what is lasting and live this life with confidence in your ability to provide and protect. Thank you that our future is safe within your hands.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” – 1 Corinthians 13:11