Where Will America Drop Anchor?

“But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 (NLT)

To some people, a cool, breezy day beside the ocean is better than life itself. For others, it’s a day spent strolling the paths gently laid out below the huge canopies of trees in the mountains, hearing the music made by the wind blowing through the trees.

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

These moments of waves and wind are the ones many actively seek. Planning their lives around a specific time to meet the rhythm of the sea or meditate in the coolness of the forest. No one actively pursues choppy waters and gale force winds, unless you are a daredevil or a thrill seeker, willing to accept the consequences of trying to defy the forces of nature.

When faced with the threat of danger from a natural occurrence, such as a hurricane or tornado, the larger percentage of people run for protection. Windows are boarded up and escape plans are executed. Yet, when social storms arise, even if it is only a perceived storm, people come out in droves, not only “braving” the storm, but helping to whip it into a larger, more destructive occurrence by breaking windows, hurling objects and tempting authority.

The storms of life bring tumultuous feelings, actions and reactions. However, these storms aren’t always due to the “identified” actions, which are usually blamed for the storm. Communities will react to unfortunate occurrences, (i.e. police shootings, gang violence, etc) based on where their hearts are anchored. Bitterness, frustration, fear for the future, uncertainty, hopelessness, the list of America’s anchoring points is endless and to some, depressing.

Where any of us anchor our hearts will never limit the storms which will arise, but it will potentially change our reaction to it. Without admitting the need for our hearts to be anchored in a solid belief, larger than ourselves, not created by man, communities will continue to struggle and fight with these storms of life.

Certainly leadership in our government and communities plays a significant role in the action and reaction to violent protests. It is our personal leadership though, which plays an even larger role. If we continue to rely on the leadership of others to control our behaviors, we will continue to be a downward spiraling society. Responsibility for our behaviors lies solely in our hearts. Always.

As leaders, whether someone is a “known” leader or someone is an individual who leads from where they live, we have confused the population as a whole. “Known” leaders have stripped the responsibility of personal leadership of each person, by deceiving communities into believing they are unable to manage their community and their part of the world. These very capable citizens have been told someone else will look out for their best interest and help create a utopian existence for them, in which they don’t need to worry about a thing. “Just trust in the system I will create for you and all will go well”.

When generations of trust are freely handed over to someone else, individuals learn to sit back and no longer lead their own life. It is believed “everything is taken care of”, just relax. The reality is that nothing is being taken care for the betterment of the people, just for the betterment of those using the people. When this is realized, all trust is destroyed. Lies have been lived for so long, the truth is unknown and out of focus. People realize the anchor which they had been given was made out of paper, instead of metal and the location in which they buried their anchor wasn’t real, just an illusion of security.

To some, the idea of placing ones anchor in God sounds weak, even weaker than placing them in another human. Yet, that is another lie.

If as individuals and communities, we place our anchors in God, the True God, when the storms of life hit us, we may sway and even buoy higher than expected, but never will we completely crash against the shore. Those who crash against the shore, such as those who turn out in mass protests, thinking they are being heard, are the ones who will always be mending their ships. They have no anchor. Their compass will be lost at the bottom of the sea. And eventually, they will rip off their life jacket under the illusion it is holding them back, rather than keep them afloat.

For those who have an anchor and those who even tend the lighthouses, your message must be shared. Our country is looking for the lighthouse in the current storm. The waves are tossing so many people, to and fro, and a safe port is needed. While candidates and issues are important, anchors and safe harbors are needed even more. No city in America will be a good place to put down anchor unless God is where the anchor is placed.

Tina Drake

Arizona PolitiChick Tina Drake has been teaching and mentoring Junior High and High School students, in churches where she has been active, since her time as a college student, over twenty-five years ago. Tina believes politics and religion can, and should, be discussed together. She says she is a lifelong follower of Christ and believer in the true significance of God's power in each and everyone's life and she believes in the absolute need for God and Christ to be honored and included in the decisions made for our country. Tina continues to mentor students in this age group, along with her husband, multiple times each week. She believes that encouraging people, especially students, to see the need for a relationship with God and Jesus Christ in their everyday life, is an absolute need in her life. Tina volunteers weekly in her children's school, allowing her to witness how today's students are learning and developing in their social, educational, political and spiritual beliefs. Witnessing how students experience life, during the timeframe of Junior High through College, is immensely important to Tina. She believes this age group needs to be mentored, so they will have the tools with which to navigate today's societal pressures to live life without God, rather than with Him. Tina has also been a teacher to women in churches, teaching small groups, as well as speaking to large groups on a variety of spiritual topics. In addition to Spiritual Formation, Tina has been actively following and discussing the many facets of politics. Tina is a graduate of the University of Arizona, having earned a degree in Communication and a minor in Political Science. After college, she worked in the field of Advertising and Marketing, specializing in Media Buying and Planning, as well as directing entire Marketing and Sales departments. She has been a writer for PolitiChicks.com since 2012 and says she enjoys the opportunity to encourage Americans to live out their faith in Jesus Christ, while they stand firm on the principles set forth by our forefathers in their political beliefs.

Related Articles

Back to top button
Close
Close

Please disable ad blocker.

We work hard to write our articles and provide you with the content you enjoy. The ads on the site allow us to continue our work while feeding our families. If you'd please whitelist our site in your ad blocker or remove your ad blocker altogether, we'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you!