Girl, Read Your BibleSample

As believers, we often find ourselves caught in the storms of life where we have little visibility and no guidance. We have marriages that are falling apart, children who are falling away, and promises that are falling through. During these times, we need an Anchor to survive the treacherous situations.

In the first century, Christians were persecuted and martyred beyond what most of us can imagine today. They were beaten, tortured, thrown to the ravenous lions, and even burned at the stake. Roman emperor Nero was a ruthless leader, set on taking down and destroying the followers of Christ.

To encourage one another discreetly, these early Christians secretly used the symbol of an anchor to declare solidarity to the cause of Christ. You can find anchor marks on countless tombstones in the St. Domitilla and Priscilla cemeteries to this day. It’s an interesting observation that the top of the anchor’s shape is similar to a cross, a visual representation of Christ’s sacrifice.

Even today we see the anchor displayed as a symbol throughout our culture. We wear them around our necks, print them on coffee mugs, and tattoo them on our wrists. But even beyond the physical representations, we need the anchor engraved on our hearts.

Left to its own, the heart is restless. It flounders. It wavers and waffles. It’s desperately sick and needs help. It doesn’t need to be followed—it needs to be informed. It needs to commit and trust God. Our hearts aimlessly ride the waves of our busy lives, but we need to cling to something deeper and stronger. 

The anchor is what steadies the vessel. It holds it secure and safe. We will be battered by the waves of life, but a steady anchor will ultimately keep us from crashing against the rocks. 

If you feel unmoored right now, you are not alone. Even as I write this, I’m wrestling with my commitment to ministry and parenting my kids. The tension of juggling these important commitments feels erratic and chaotic. I often wonder if I’m encouraging other women and families at the cost of my own. Perhaps you feel the same about your kids or spouse or singleness or career or just overall direction and purpose. Our circumstances may be different, but the storm is the same. 

There will be times when we let our agendas rule our hearts, control our peace, and distract our purpose. And no weekly manicure, exercise program, or color-coded calendar will anchor you. You’ll need something much more reliable. You’ll need the Truth.

Without truth on our hearts, we run the risk of worshipping the right thing in the wrong way. Without truth in our minds, we run the risk of worshipping the wrong thing in the right way.

Truth is the anchor. And Jesus is the Truth.