Recently, I visited one of my hunting partner’s archery range in his large backyard. I had been shooting very consistently on my own 20-yard target, hitting the bull’s-eye nine out of ten times. But when I extended my range to the 40- and 50-yard targets, my shots became very inaccurate. Shortly after release, I noticed my arrow would take off to the right. When I corrected my bow sights to allow for that deviation, my arrow would go radically to the left. My shots were all over the place!
I asked my friend what I was doing wrong? He said the problem wasn’t with the bow or the sights but with my aim. Apparently, I was not anchoring on my cheekbone in the same way each shot. My anchor point was inconsistent; therefore, my aim was off. Once I corrected my anchor point, my aim became accurate and the arrows began to hit their mark.
So, it is in life. As believers, Jesus is our anchor point. if we get away from our anchor point, we flounder and miss the mark. Jesus described our anchor point using a different metaphor—that of a branch on a grapevine.
Jesus explained, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) “Bearing much fruit” in the context of this passage has to do with our whole life and becoming more like Jesus. We don’t become more like Jesus by striving on our own. We will always need to stay connected with (abide in or remain in) Him.
- When we are missing the mark in our lives, it could be for a variety of reasons:
- Maybe we are trying to do everything on our strength rather than rely on God’s wisdom and might to empower us.
- There may be unresolved sin in our life, which is standing in the way of our relationship with Christ and others.
- We could have broken fellowship with someone who is close to us thereby impeding our prayers.
- We may be “aiming” at the wrong things. Sometimes the worries of this life and the lure of power, prestige, fame, and fortune can get us off track.
Whatever the reason, our anchor point is off. To correct the problem, we must return to Jesus and remain in Him. Spiritual disciplines like reading God’s Word, praying, meditating, worshipping, fellowshipping with other believers, and confessing our sins to the Lord all have one primary purpose: to help us deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.
How about you? How’s your aim? Who is your anchor point?
Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17
Personal Application: What are you aiming at in life? To what extent are you abiding in Jesus? Meditate on the Scripture reading for today and follow Jesus’ instructions.
Jim Grassi, D. Min. and Wendell Morton
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5