On my bed is a red flannel blanket that I have owned since I was about three or four years old. It was given to me by my mother when one fateful morning I decided I no longer needed my baby blanket, or rather the scant rags that remained of said blanket. I vividly remember walking to the dumpster outside of our apartment complex and throwing my beloved blanket away. I also remember losing my mind later that night when I went to bed and had no blanket to calm me. Rather than providing me with another small “baby” blanket, my mother gave me a full-sized blanket. I think she was hoping the size would prohibit me from dragging it around the house and that as I grew older it would simply phase back into the linen closet. The joke was on her, though; She simply provided me with a blanket I could utilize for the rest of my life.
While the blanket is just a blanket at this point in my life, there was a time when I believed it provided me with a level of protection. It was what we would call a security blanket. I’ll never forget the first time I watched The Wizard of Oz. I was absolutely terrified of the Wicked Witch of the West. I mean, who wouldn’t be? She shot lightning out of her fingers, flew around on a scraggly looking broom stick, and threatened to do harm to a little girl and her dog for a pair of sparkly shoes. She was the stuff of nightmares. Every time she would come on the screen, I would pull my trusty blanket over my head to shield me from the evils of the witch. While the blanket did an exceptional job of shielding me from the sight of the witch, it failed to protect me from her altogether as I could still hear everything that was happening. As it turns out, my “security blanket” may have helped me feel a little better in the moment, but it did an incredibly poor job of providing any real protection or security.
We are attempting to find security, protection, and hope in that which is inadequate to the task at hand.
While most of us don’t walk around dragging a blanket behind us into adulthood, I do believe we are still prone to making the same underlying mistake. We are attempting to find security, protection, and hope in that which is inadequate to the task at hand. Sure, there are some very good things in this world that add meaning and enjoyment to our lives. They help us to deal with the stresses and struggles of our lives and assist us in finding calm in the chaos. While they may shield us from that which is uncomfortable and inconvenient, they cannot provide us with the requisite strength to stand firm, come what may. Putting our unqualified trust in anything or anyone other than Jesus is a mistake. It may provide a level of comfort in the moment, but it may also obscure our view of the truth and lull us into a false sense of security, much like a blanket over the head.
The writer of the book of Hebrews rightly encourages his readers to fix their attention on Jesus, noting that it is through His victorious work on the cross that we find the strength to stand. We need to make sure we don’t allow anything to obscure our view of Jesus. It is He who is the way, the truth, and the life that will guide us through difficult and dark days. It is through His power and presence that our hearts and minds are renewed and transformed in order that we might accomplish His purposes. It is through Christ alone that we find a peace that passes understanding that will truly guard our hearts and minds.
There are many things that can provide us comfort and security for a moment, but only Jesus can provide us with the strength to stand with confidence.
In the midst of chaos, we look for something that will bring comfort. In uncertain and uncomfortable times, we often look for something to provide hope. In the midst of a struggle, it is only natural to look for a savior. There are many things that can provide us comfort and security for a moment, but only Jesus can provide us with the strength to stand with confidence. May we not put anything else in the seat that only Jesus can fill.
