We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3–4
Sweet Maria and I live down by the water in San Diego, and we enjoy watching the boats pull into the harbor. They will usually circle the bay a few times as they decide where they will drop their anchor. What happens after they have picked their spot distinguishes the experienced sailors from the novices.
There is a big difference between the boats that just drop anchor in the bay and those who set the hook. While both approaches look the same on the surface, merely dropping the anchor will give you a big piece of metal on the sand that has not dug into anything. Everything is fine until the winds and waves come. Then these boats drag their anchors and end up on the beach in front of our house. On the other hand, the captains who set their hooks dig their anchors into something firm by putting the boat in reverse and giving the anchor a tug when they arrive in the bay. When the storms come, the anchors, which are already dug in, don’t drag to shore. In fact, these anchors dig themselves in farther and provide greater protection and staying power the more the wind and waves rise.
You might be facing headwinds right now. But you get to decide whether you will drag anchor or set the hook. It is easy to drag anchor if you are spending time with people who are acting religious but don’t follow Jesus. Sure, everything might look the same on the surface, but when you only have the appearance of faith, when the winds come you’ll easily be dragged away.
If you set the hook, however, if you dig deep and develop more than a surface-level faith, you’ll be ready for the storms.
And the apostle Paul said the suffering you endure will produce perseverance, and perseverance is going to result in character, and character has the power to turn into hope in your life and in the lives of the people around you.
Much of what we experience we won’t fully understand this side of Heaven. The promise of Scripture is that if we dig deep in our faith and continue to endure, God will make something useful out of our pain.
In short, set the hook.
Excerpted with permission from Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility by Bob Goff, copyright Bob Goff.
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Your Turn
Dig deep! We can be ready for storms if we prepare ahead of time by spending time with Jesus, listening to His voice, reading the Word, and anchoring ourselves to Him. ~ Devotionals Daily
