Life can be hard. Sometimes it completely sucks. There are unavoidable storms to navigate – both externally and internally – and it is very easy to be pulled off course by those trials. In many ways, those are the times where we truly find out who we are – what we are really made of. No one knows if they have determination until it is tested. No one knows their own strength – not until you push the limits on what you consider ‘bearable’. We were made to stand the test of time. But in the world of fleeting moments lived out in one reality and then translated onto another (that of social media and online content), it is hard to find your feet sometimes in the mix of emotions and opinions.
That is where I have found that I need an anchor. When things get hard, everything within me wants to up and run – to do my best to try flee the struggle. But avoiding the hard things will result in a life that is aimless and negative in impact. Nothing of value can be built without a foundation. No journey can be sailed without the use of an anchor to keep you on course.
I believe God is the ultimate anchor – the most reliable strength for staying power. In the Bible, it talks about how God has never changed and never will – and as we cling to that very aspect of His nature, we find hope.
I don’t know about you, but the first thing that seems to leave when things start getting tough is any sense of hope. The more the problem starts beating down on you, the harder it is to see the end of the struggle. But that’s where God is offering a hope that cannot be shaken. He is literally saying, “I won’t change – even though everything else is shifting at the moment. Hang on to me and I will keep you afloat and on course.” Now that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. It doesn’t mean there will times when you think you will drown or go down. It does mean you will come out whole – not shipwrecked on the shores of despair.
There are a few things about an anchor that I have found important:
When anchors work, they are unseen
If you can see the anchor of a ship, it is not doing what it was made to do. When the seas get rough, or you are required to stop and rest – the anchor is deep in the water. In the same way, I have found that the success of your anchor is only seen once the storm has died down. No one else may know what’s going on. They might not understand or even think of what is happening beneath the surface. But being with God – connecting with Him in the quiet, unseen places will give you the strength to stay on course.
Anchors don’t change the intensity, the add to it
You will still get assailed by your circumstances. In many ways being anchored will mean there will be more resistance against the winds of opinion and the tides of your emotions. There will be tension that will pull you in all directions. You will be weathered if you choose to drop your anchor. But you will come out stronger and proven – able to lift anchor and continue on your charted course once it all is over.
Anchors can help steer your course
One of the most dramatic ways to change direction is by dropping your anchor. It immediately allows you to harness your momentum and then steer yourself at a rather sharp angle. Hope in God can do that too. You might see the trajectory of your life right now and be seriously concerned about where you are heading. Maybe things in life have set you adrift and you feel like there is no clear direction. I want to encourage you to connect with the God who made your life and is beckoning you towards the greatest life you could ever have.
Right now you could ‘drop’ anchor and change the direction of your life. You could find a hope that is unshakeable and a purpose that is worth holding on for. If you would like to know how to make this redirection possible, click on the link below.