The Game of Life invented by Milton Bradley in 1860 was America’s first popular board game. The modern version we grew up playing debuted in 1960. The game has changed over the years, but the basic concept remains the same.

People drive plastic cars with pink and blue pegs, representing players, spouses, and children. Participants choose paths for “College” or “Career.” Spins of a plastic wheel determine each move. A bank provides money and loans.

The Game of Life first introduced me to the concept of insurance. Players have the opportunity to purchase auto, life, fire, and homeowner coverage. As a young consumer, I disliked paying for policies that I might never need. However, one accident quickly convinced me that the premiums were a wise investment.

I later learned three important principles about insurance:

• Insure what you cannot afford to lose.
• Insurance is always a balancing act between what you need and can afford.
• Buy enough insurance to sleep well at night!

Northside Church just finished a May worship series entitled For the If in Life. We explored how our faith insures us FOR—not FROM—whatever may occur. Christians live in a fallen world where bad things happen to good people. However, God’s grace is sufficient for anything we might face.

There’s not a song in the hymnal entitled, “Blessed Insurance!”   However, there is a familiar hymn entitled, “Blessed Assurance.”

Our faith insures us for the IF in LIFE. We sing with confidence, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine.”