The Illusion of Protection

 

Shopping for Peace of Mind

I've spent the past couple of days shopping for insurance. I heard groans from around the world.

This insurance is for the home that we are currently building. You can't get homeowner's insurance on a work in progress, but you do want to protect the premises from theft, fire, vandalism, etc. The policy is called Builder's Risk. It's not cheap. But then, what is?

It has caused me to really ponder this whole concept of insurance.

All the Things We Insure

We insure so many things in our lives. Our homes, our cars, any recreational toys we may possess. In our case, being business owners, we carry business insurance. We own rental properties, so yes—each of those must have a separate policy. Oh, and let's not forget our health. Did you know there are people who have health insurance for their pets? And finally, we insure our very lives.

And we do this so that we have a sense of security. Peace of mind. As they say, "You're in good hands." And "Like a good neighbor," they are there because, "We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two."

But here's the thing: even with all this assurance, there is no guarantee that bad things aren't going to happen.

When Coverage Lapsed

I remember years ago we had a lapse in coverage on a couple of our rentals. For some reason or another, I can't remember why, the insurance company we had decided they weren't going to insure non-owner-occupied homes. There was a scramble for a new carrier. I recall the feeling of relief when the agent told me the new policy was bound and we were covered. It was as if the disasters were being held at bay.

That is not the case, however. All the insurance in the world cannot stop damage and mayhem. I've been waiting to use that word. We learned that the hard way.

Fire damaged a couple of our rentals over the years. They occurred over ten years apart and were totally unrelated but were devastating. Insurance paid us for the losses, but the damage was still done. Tenants were left having to find a new place to live, repairs had to be made, and the effects on our ability to buy insurance for a few years was affected.

Coverage Is Not Protection

Insurance is there to cover your losses. Not to protect you from loss.

There's a picture we see sometimes of an umbrella covering the insured—that gives us the impression of protection. It's a false illusion. We are not protected from harm, just from a little bit of monetary loss. And I say a little bit because I've mistakenly added up how much we've paid over the years in premiums compared to how much we've actually collected. It's not equitable, at least in our case. Others may know a secret but to date I've not heard it.

The Spiritual Parallel

I believe we carry this same thought process over to our spiritual lives. Our position in Christ has put us into some bubble of protection, if you will, that somehow keeps the worst things in life from touching us. After all, didn't He promise us that? Did He not promise to protect us, to care for us, to shield us from the arrows?

I have come to believe that I, at least, heard some misguided teaching on that. And I may have been led to believe a bit incorrectly on this concept.

God promised never to leave us, not forsake us. He told us in Deuteronomy 31:6, "…the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."

Isaiah 43:2 warns us "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; …" He didn't say IF, He said WHEN. He warned us these times would come, but also that His hand would be upon us.

What God Actually Promises

The insurance we purchase on our material possessions, upon our temporary bodies, offers us monetary compensation during hard times. God offers us so much more.

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…"

James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Isaiah 54:10, " 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed', says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

And finally, what holds it all together, Peter's final encouragement to all of us.

I Peter 1:6-7, "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

The Real Insurance

So, while bound up in the confidence of our security in Christ Jesus we are not guaranteed there will be no trials, no sorrow, no grief in this life. We are secure in the truth that He will walk beside us through every moment. His promises are the lifeboat that carry us through the floodwaters, and His love the arms that hold us up through the toughest of times. These absolutes insure us the peace that passes understanding, and the strength that will carry us home.