When Your Boat Drifts! |

Arguing!
Bickering!
Backbiting!
Not speaking to one another!
Gossiping!
Slander!
Jealousy!
Dissension!

These things are happening in families, churches, friendships, companies, ministries. Families are divided right down the middle. They’ve taken sides and each side comes against the other. Husbands and wives split apart. Churches torn in half. Leadership teams dismembered.

We’re in rough shape. Satan is probably jumping up and down and calling his cronies to a victory party. His goal is to divide because he knows that if he succeeds, then we will fall.

…And we’re falling!

I call it an ANCHOR problem.

An anchor gives a boat stability and keeps it from drifting. In today’s world, it’s easy to drift into dangerous territory. It’s easy to come loose from the stability we once had. Instability can lead us to improper actions. So when the wrong anchor is lowered in the water, it will never be strong enough to hold our boat stable when the storms come.

Here are a few common anchors, but wrong ones…

People! Remember, people are human and they fail. They will not always do everything right. They will hurt us sometimes. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.”

Our spouse, our children, our loved ones, even our BFF can’t keep us from drifting. When people fail us, then we’re left with devastation, hurt, pain, and disillusionment. And that’s when our boat drifts into dangerous territory called emotions. When we act out of hurt emotions, we do and say things we will later regret – things that have lasting consequences.

The anchor of people is surely unstable.

Ourselves! This can include our accomplishments, our confidence, our abilities, our plans. When we become our anchor, the boat is never stable. This can lead to pride, self-centerdness, over confidence, and self-sufficiency. When these things are lowered into the water, our boat drifts into rough waters: waters that cause us to offend people and can be the source of rifts in relationships.

The apostle Paul said, “If I must boast, I will boast about things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30). God honors the ones who put others above themselves (James 4:6).

The anchor of ourselves is surely unstable.

The flesh! Trust me, this can be an anchor. We live in a world that glorifies young and beautiful. So we’ve bought into it and the anchor that we lower into the water can be our appearance, our healthy lifestyle, and our passions and desires. Now, please don’t misunderstand this one… we should seek to look nice, live a healthy lifestyle, and go after our passions and desires. But what do you think happens to that anchor when we get wrinkles, get older, encounter health issues, and our dreams are crushed? This anchor will most definitely give way and our boat will drift into deep waters called discouragement and frustration.

Our discouragement and frustration can cause us to withdraw from people, become self-absorbed, and make us judgmental or cynical. This can absolutely steel our joy.

Paul writes, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

The anchor of the flesh is surely unstable.

Okay, so then what is the anchor that will hold our boat stable through anything and keep it from drifting?

JESUS CHRIST.

We need to anchor ourselves in Jesus.

He is the ONLY anchor that gives us complete stability.

Now, how can we anchor ourselves in Jesus? Here are some ways…

Spend time with Him each day, no matter how busy we are
Meditate on and study the Word of God (getting involved in a Bible study is always good)
Obey the precepts of God’s Word
Apply biblical principles to our lives
Memorize Scripture
Listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting

There would be less fighting, bickering, and division if we would anchor ourselves in Jesus Christ.

Share your comments below. And stay tuned for my NEW Bible study on Philippians. I will be teaching it FREE of charge ONLINE this fall. More info coming soon…

Blessings,