Anchor: Hold You Up or Drag You Down?
- OakvilleJoe
- Jun 20
- 2 min read
Have you ever noticed how an anchor can be both a lifesaver and a death trap?
In a safe harbor, a ship drops anchor to rest, to stay steady, to avoid drifting into unknown dangers. That same anchor, heavy and unyielding, when tied to you in open water, becomes a burden that drags you down, suffocates you, pulls you deeper than you ever meant to go.
In life, we all have anchors. Some hold us steady — family, faith, purpose. Others? They drag us under — toxic friends, old regrets, addictions, fears we pretend we've let go of. What’s scary is, most anchors don't reveal their weight until it's too late.
A friend once told me, "Be careful who or what you're tied to. Some anchors aren't holding you steady — they're holding you back." Wise words. It reminded me of something I've heard sailors say too: the wrong anchor can become your worst enemy in a storm.
The Bible speaks of hope as an anchor for the soul — firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19). Not an anchor that traps you to the seabed of your past mistakes, but one that keeps you from drifting away when the winds of life howl loudest.
And yet, how many times do we tie ourselves to anchors that promise stability but deliver suffocation?
A career that once gave you wings now feels like chains.
A relationship that once made you feel seen now makes you feel small.
A habit that once comforted now controls.
Corrie Ten Boom once said, "You may never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have."
She knew something about storms. She knew about anchors that don't snap under pressure.
Maybe today is a good day to check your anchor chain.
Maybe it’s time to ask:
Who or what am I anchored to?
Is it holding me steady... or slowly pulling me under?
Me? I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that the only anchor that truly holds is Christ.
He doesn't promise still waters all the time — but He does promise to keep you steady in them.
Anchors aren't the problem.
It’s what — and who — you’re anchored to.
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