A ship in the ocean needs to be able to move freely, or it will never be able to reach its destination.
It also needs to be able to drop anchor, to remain fixed in one location, so that it’s not lost in the time of storm.
Hebrews 6:19 tells us that the promise of Jesus and his death on the cross, only to rise again, is an anchor for our soul.
Yet, what if we’re anchored to something else?
In 1943, the destroyer USS William D. Porter was commissioned to escort the USS Iowa across the Atlantic. Aboard the Iowa were President Roosevelt, the Secretary of State, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The night before leaving, the W.D. Porter accidentally anchored to another U.S. ship, effectively destroying it as she backed out of her berth.
What do we destroy in our mistaken attempts to find an anchor as we walk through life? We could also ask, who do we destroy as we grasp for stability in a tumultuous world? Do we use drugs as our anchor, allowing them to moor us in sin and deprivation? Does sensuality keep us from the good life we really want to live? Or maybe we’re anchored to money, and we can’t find peace without a big bank account.
Our only hope is to pull up anchor and sail toward Jesus.
Acts 22:16 tells us:
“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”
That’s step 1, lifting our anchor from the water, so we can begin to move forward.
1 Corinthians 1:17 tells us:
“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
Step 2 carries us toward Christ using the power of the cross.
Psalm 50:14-15 tells us:
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Our final step shows how we drop our anchor into the power of Christ our Lord.
We want to be anchored in Christ. However, if we don’t raise our anchor from whatever else has us trapped, we’ll be like the Porter, destroying everyone in our wake as we search for peace and stability. Let’s steam toward Jesus. His is the anchorage that will keep us secure for all eternity.
When our anchor is anywhere but Jesus, we risk destruction in the time of storm.
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