The last two weeks have been interesting personally. Two stories that are related have influenced me a lot lately. The first was our elderly neighbor who locked herself out of her house. I tried to help her find another way into her house. The best we could come up with was going into the attic and then climb down into her house when inside. I went to get my teenage boys to help. One of them told me that he had a special key that could let him into the house. He got it, and 20 seconds later he picked the lock into her house. Helpful, but hardly reassuring when it comes to thinking that your own house is secure.
The second incident was while we were on choir tour, our van was broken into. The police told us that thieves with special tools can be in your car in 10 seconds. Some personal things and university equipment were stolen.
These things have made me think: what really is secure? Anyone who really wants something will probably figure out a way to get it. Really the only thing that is secure is our faith in God. We can’t lose our salvation.
Jesus reminds us on the sermon on the mountain to have a heavenly perspective. Matthew 6 says:
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Things in life are only temporary. Stuff is just stuff.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
I think these stories are an interesting juxtaposition of how the same tool can be used for good and evil. We never think of a “lock pick” as a tool that can be used to glorify God. What other tools do we have that we view as socially “wrong” but can still be used for God’s glory?
I know I can relate to the second story, because I was actually then when it happened. Even though nothing of mine was taken, I definitely lost the feeling of security that I had throughout the previous 3 days of tour. When we take a step back and look at the grand scheme of things, it is apparent that nothing in this life is “secure”: our possessions, our talents, and not even those we love and keep close. The only thing we have in this life that we know we can never lose is, as you said above, our salvation and the promise of an eternity with our God when our time on Earth is up.