25 August - Anchors

Let me tell you a story.

The other day I was sitting at a restaurant overlooking a whole bunch of boats anchored out over the bay. I could look out past them and see the inlet where the bay opened into the ocean. It was a gorgeous day, a beautiful view, great meal, it was just a great day. I like being on the water. It was nice. I was sitting close to a couple of guys eating at the next table. Being notoriously nosey, I was listening in on their conversation.

I realized not only were they eating lunch but this was also a de-brief between a student pilot and his instructor. They were going over their last training flight. Being a nosey old pilot myself, this peaked my curiosity. The instructor turned to the student pilot and said "Let's go over emergency procedures. If you're at cruise altitude and you have a power failure what do you do?" The student pilot looked at him and said "Well, first I would turn into the wind." The instructor interrupted him and said, "OK, look outside and give me three indicators of where the wind is coming from."

Of course, I did the same. I saw some flags fluttering in the distance. Then I noticed the waves and the ripples in the water… I was searching for a third indicator when I heard the student pilot say, "The boats!". I turned my attention to the 30 or 40 boats that were anchored in the bay and he was right. It looked like they were all pointing into the wind. Since they were all anchored from their bow, (the front of the boat for you 'lubbers') the wind was pushing them around so they were all pointing into the wind.

However that wasn't totally true, the instructor said, "Look closer at the boats." Not all of the boats were pointed into the wind. I thought that was kind of strange. Most of the larger boats, the sailboats and yachts all appeared to be pointing toward the inlet where the bay opens into the ocean. I noticed a couple of other boats that were pointed off in a totally different direction towards the harbor master station. Based upon their position, these few had direct access to the harbor master. Most of the boats were pointed to the wind, but the big ones were pointed to the ocean and a couple were pointed to the harbor master. I thought that was strange. The instructor pilot said obviously in most cases looking at anchored boats will give you an indicator of where the wind is coming from but you certainly can't be dependant on it.

Can you tell me why the big yachts were pointed towards the ocean? If anyone is a mariner it's not too hard a question. They were pointed in that direction because of the tide. When the tide comes in, the force on the bottom of the boat (the keel), if it is deep enough, will move the boat around and point it in the direction of the tide. The power of the tide, for these big boats, was stronger than the power of the wind and that's why they were pointed in the direction of the tide.

Can you tell me what would cause the couple other boats to be pointed away from the tide, away from the wind? Once I looked closer I realized they were using more than one anchor … ;-) By using multiple anchors they had complete control over their direction.

I got to thinking as I looked at those boats how much my Christian life has been like them. Many folks, when they become Christians, anchor their lives by a saving faith in Jesus Christ. That is the beginning of their Christianity, their anchor to the rock of Christ. Christians have that assurance of salvation, that they are going to heaven, but that is the only anchor they've got and they are tossed and turned by every breeze of trouble that comes along.

Don't get me wrong, the tide isn't pushing them down the bay and there is no fear of them losing the anchor of their salvation. But for these single anchor Christians, the winds of trouble, the normal winds of living in this world of problems, blows them around easily.

Then I thought about the big boats. The ones that have the deep keels that go deep below the surface. It reminded me of this new success gospel, this new abundant life prosperity scheme that says, if you are a Christian you should be rich. This gospel of consumerism is not the gospel, it's a lie. I see many Christians that, (based upon changes in their lifestyle because they became a Christian) end up becoming successful in the eyes of the world. They have tithed, they have dropped many if not all of their destructive behavior after becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ and because of that, they have come to have success in the world. That tide of success, (even though they have that Salvation anchor in Jesus), is such a strong and powerful force, it has turned their attention from the Lord to all of the riches in the world. Their success (because of their trust and obedience to God) has turned them away from God.

Then I thought of those couple of boats that were anchored in such a way they pointed to, and had easy access to the harbor master. I was thinking that in my spiritual life that relates to more than one anchor. In other words, yes we have the anchor of salvation but we also hunger for the anchor of real fellowship with other Christians. We require the anchor of studying the word, the anchor of a deep and meaningful prayer life and the anchors of a purposeful mission and ministry. These multi-anchored boats are the true servants of the Lord pointing their whole life towards their Harbor Master.

I know that throughout my Christian life I have been every one of these three boat types. As a young man, I had so totally screwed up my life, the only thing that saved me from being lost forever was anchoring my life to Christ. He truly saved and changed me. Those changes resulted in success. As he remade me into something new, success came. And that success took my eyes off the Lord and back onto myself and the riches of the world. What a mistake.. Now as I'm using these essential anchors of worship, fellowship, bible study, a mission and ministry, my little boat is once again pointing in the right direction - the only truly important direction for me - being a Christ-follower.

Where is your boat pointing? I don't know how it is in your life but I need a lot of anchors. If ya need'em too, go get'em.


Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming...