Finding Your Spiritual Anchor When Life Feels Out of Control

We like to feel in control. I certainly did.

Then the pandemic hit and I lost my job to redundancy. I could no longer pay my credit cards and loans, and with interest, the total piled up to about a million pesos. I did what I thought a responsible man should do: I worked harder. I took on extra work just to pay off the debt, even when it put my health at risk.

Looking back, I was relying on my own strength instead of remembering how big my God is. It was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.

What an anchor actually does

An anchor doesn't stop a storm. The wind keeps blowing and the waves keep crashing. What an anchor does is hold the boat in place so it isn't swept away.

Family devotion in the living room

That's what faith is for me. It doesn't make problems disappear. It keeps me from being carried off by them. Hebrews 6:19 calls hope in God an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Why letting go is so hard

We're taught to hustle and to be self-reliant, and those are good habits in many ways. But when everything goes wrong at once, trying to control the outcome mostly wears us out. Worrying more doesn't change the result. It just steals the sleep I needed.

What I do now when life feels out of control

Be honest with God. The Psalms are full of raw, honest prayers. I don't have to pretend I'm fine. I can tell God I'm scared, tired, and confused.

Do the next right thing, then leave the outcome. Pay what I can. Apply for the job. Have the hard conversation. Do my part, then hand the rest to God. Trusting God isn't doing nothing. It's doing my part without carrying what isn't mine to carry.

Remember what God has already done. When things got dark, I wrote down the times God had come through for me, so I could read them back on bad days. The list gets longer every year.

The foundation my father gave me

When this year's storm hit, and I lost my position after being promoted, I did something different. I prayed for peace first, before I asked for a solution. Peace came before the answer did. I wrote more about the advice that shaped this in The Best Advice My Father Ever Gave Me.

If you're in a storm right now, you don't have to have it all figured out. You only need something solid to hold on to.

What has been your anchor? Share it in the comments, or reach out through the Contact page if you'd like someone to pray with you.