Have you ever considered the task of an anchor? Do you realize the grueling work that an anchor must perform in order to fulfill it’s job? The other day, I had the pleasure of setting out in the kayak with my buddy Steve to do some fishing (or as I like to call it… throwing bait back into the water). Fishing out of kayak is a challenge within itself… especially with no anchor.

I’ll admit that I was a little jealous of Steve as he had prepared his kayak with a cleat, some rope, and a perfectly weighted anchor. We found what we considered to be a perfect spot for fishing in one of the nooks in Fort Bayou. Steve expertly lowered his anchor in the water… and I drifted. Boy I was wishing for an anchor.

The job of an anchor is important. Without thinking, emotions, or planning, the anchor does its job without complaint and only to the best of its ability. Some anchors are entirely too light for the job while others are nothing more than extra weight we carry around to ensure that we stay in one spot.

The anchor stands prepared at the call of duty to submerge itself in the murky waters and strains to keep its tethered partner stable and in place. There are times in the life of the anchor when the burden gets too large and it moves and scrapes along the bottom of the sea floor desperatly trying to perform it’s assigned duty.

The anchor doesn’t complain, but only attempts to keep you in place. Without the anchor, we have no shot at staying steady regardless of the seemingly calm condition. Too often we view the anchor as a burden that is difficult to deploy and generally in the way of things. But the anchor isn’t meant to be kept on deck… it’s only useful when allowed to perform according to it’s designed purpose.

In the life of faith, Christ is your anchor. He’s big enough for the job, but not too heavy for the trip. Did you catch that? but that’s not where job ends. For some fouled up reason, the church has some notion that we accept that Jesus Christ is our anchor… and that’s where it ends. We leave him on the deck and sometimes feel that he’s in the way. And at some point we open our eyes… and allow him to be Lord of our lives… our anchor. And even then… we stop at that. We only see Christ as the anchor and call that… Christian.  But where is our faith?  What is our call?  We are to be anchors in the lives of our neighbors.  We hang on as long as we can and tether them to Christ long enough for Him to reach up and grab their rope.

There are people around you who are drifting through life… who reach out for some sort of stable force… and they are grappling for you. When a soul is lost… you must be the immovable object. You must dig in your heels and keep them steady. You must sacrifice your strength so they know that there is hope.

Christ goes to the depths to dig in His heels so that you have life… that is love. When you accept Christ as your anchor and your hope, you are saying that… I not only believe that Jesus Christ is able to keep me steady in this life… you are saying that you are willing to allow Christ to grab your rope.

Being an anchor requires strength, grit, determination, and tenacity. You must be willing to be immovable and willing to hang on regardless of the outcome. Christ has shown us how to be the anchor… in fact… he’s hanging on to you right now. With the same love and capacity… you should hang on to your family, wife, child, brother, sister, mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, co-worker, mate… enemy.

Your life as a Christian begins when you realize that Christ sacrifices for you daily. If you are resting in the fact that Christ has saved you from drifting… and that’s it… then you don’t know Him very well. And if you aren’t tethered to Christ… you will be disappointed.

May you realize that Jesus Christ is your anchor. May you open your eyes this Thanksgiving Holiday to those who are drifting through your life. And May you reach out… and hold tight against current, the rising tides, and the stormy sea to hang on to those around you… so that they know Christ is the anchor.

Peace,
Greg
Acts 4:31
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