Are you feeling anchored?

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Heb 6:19-20)

From the very beginning, God intended for his children to be anchored to Him. He was to be their life line, their rock and firm place to stand. The Creator of the universe set up his world to obey a rhythm and structure. God created the heavens and the earth and then he filled it with all kinds of life. He created his people to be in relationship with himself and with one another. He provided the freedom for humans to explore his wonderful world and return to him in safety. But his people began to lean on their own understanding, rather than his, listening to false wisdom and philosophies, instead of abiding in his Word. They turned their backs on God’s wisdom trusting in their own which had been corrupted by sin, instead of leading them towards God, it led them away. Their newfound knowledge had all the appearances of wisdom to provide a rich life but instead created a dryness, an insatiable appetite and ultimately it only provided one certainty, anxiety and death.

God’s people no longer rested in him and as a result of their disobedience all kinds of consequences have come about that are part of our normal human experience. We are disoriented, stressed, anxious, isolated, disconnected, lonely, depressed, diseased, abused, unstable and sick. We’re adrift. Creation is yearning to get back into that perfect place with God for which we were made. All of life’s problems that we seek a cure for and relief from, find their roots in a world that has ultimately rejected God and is living life away from the life-giver. Thus, the only real cure is found in Jesus Christ, a way back to the Father through his work on the Cross.

C.S Lewis observed the insatiability of worldly desires and came to the conclusion that 'earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy’ that instead we find ourselves dissatisfied because we were made for another world. God intended for us to hunger for, and find our satisfaction and life in Him. The writer of Ecclesiastes says God has 'set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end’ (Ecc. 3:11). There is a reason why we yearn for more, because there is more. And ultimately it can only be found in knowing Christ.

Family systems theorists identify this 'adrift’ life as insecure, that as a result of a child growing up in a family where basic needs of love, security and connection were not consistently met, the child has a greater risk of growing into an adult that has an insecure disposition. This can create all kinds of unhelpful behaviour in order to cope with feelings of rejection and abandonment that can often interfere in interpersonal relationships and reinforce feelings of disconnection. For the emotionally focussed therapist, their role becomes the primary attachment figure for which clients can anchor to in order to safely explore difficult emotions. Christians believe that their true anchor is Christ from which they can develop a firm and secure foundation.

Anchoring is a tool that we can all use to feel grounded and connected, a way to retrain our bodies to feel safe, particularly if there have been times in our lives where we haven’t felt safe and secure. Sometimes we get stuck to our emotions and it’s hard to let go, they can weigh us down. Yet if we consciously anchor ourselves to a stable place we can ride out the storm without it taking us under.

Would you like to know more about anchoring? Head to our contact page and leave a message and we will send a free anchoring exercise to you.

Biblical Readings for Reflection: Gen 1-4, Hebrews 2, Romans 8:19-23

Questions for Reflection: When was the last time you felt truly at peace, content and not desiring something new and shiny? Have you found a resting place in Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith?