Security Blanket

When all 3 of my kids were little, they each had something of a security blanket that they would carry around with them. My oldest had a Buzz Lightyear toy that I found with one arm that he called Buzz Dapper. My daughter had a Dalmatian that her uncle gave her, and then my youngest son had an actual blanket that he would carry around. I remember all 3 of them had to have these things with them all the time, and of course, not having them would cause some major meltdowns. I myself also had a blanket that I would carry around that had these sweet teddy bears and cool honeypots on it, or at least I like to think of it as cool so I don’t hurt my 4-year-old self. 

The definition of a security blanket is an object that is meant to help small children transition into independence by giving them something that they can use to soothe themselves. The reality though is in a way is that it teaches us from an early age to conflate peace and comfort as if they are not only the same but that they are even brought on by each other. If we were honest and looked at our own lives, we would find that we still have our own security blankets that we use like our bank account, our job, other people, or maybe even just comfort itself, and  then these things bring us what we think is peace. The issue though is just like that child without the blanket, whenever we lose whatever our security is, we then feel uncomfortable and we immediately lose the peace we had; but have we really lost our peace?

In John 14:27, we see this: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

In this very well-known verse from the Gospel of John, we see Jesus who is getting ready to go to the cross and suffer for sins that He has never committed and feel the wrath of God that He does not deserve comforting His disciples. We see Him comforting them by letting them know that He is giving them a peace that they can’t find anywhere else and in fact He is leaving it with them, which means that He is allowing them to have His peace. See, Jesus understood something that we forget so often: real peace isn’t something we have from comfort because it only comes from God and our relationship with Him and it isn’t dependent upon what’s going on in our lives, good or bad. This peace also isn’t something that we can earn or figure out; it’s simply a gift from God to us that’s only available because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross and not anything and I do mean anything that this world can offer to us. 

Then Jesus says something that allows us to know that we have to remember that our peace comes from Him and not our circumstances. He tells us not to let our hearts be troubled or fearful. See, Jesus knew that we would forget and so He is reminding us that in the midst of circumstances that will test us, not to forget where our real peace is coming from. Because our hearts are so quick to ask God why and try to figure out what we have done to ruin our peace, He wanted us to know that our fear has to be reminded of who our God is. See, it’s not wrong to have a security blanket as long as that blanket is Gods word that reminds us that real comfort can only come from God, as we see in Isaiah 41:10 which says ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Then, and only then when we stay focused and reliant on God, will we find the peace we seek, as we see in Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

 “A dungeon with Christ is a throne. A throne without Christ is a hell.” - John Owen

Today, if you are here and you don’t know Jesus, I want you to know that, as you have heard, you cannot have peace without Him. Peace, as I have said, does not come from circumstances, but the lack of peace will even make the best circumstances seem terrible. Jesus died for you, and He wants to forgive you and give you the peace that comes with forgiveness of sins. Today is the day of salvation; don’t wait for tomorrow, as you may not have it.