A couple years ago, when we moved into our house, we put up a shelf. Since the studs in the wall didn’t line up with where we wanted to hang the shelf, we used some anchors to secure it in the wall. Now, originally, it was intended to only hold a few small items, and so I didn’t get heavy-duty anchors—just some that were sufficient for what we were planning on doing. And this would have been fine if we had stuck with our original intentions.
But, over time, more and more stuff accumulated on that shelf. Little by little, the weight on the shelf grew until it was more than what the original anchors were intended to bear. And eventually, not too long ago, one of the anchors came loose, and all the items on the shelf slid off with a crash!
In hanging shelves, the anchors we use matter. The same principle applies to our lives as well. The worldview and presuppositions we have about life will be challenged at some point. And when they are, will they be able to hold up under the weight that life is bound to bring?
Supporting fifty pounds requires a different kind of anchor than five pounds. And life as an adult may require a sturdier foundation than what you had as a child.
Life is complex. Life can be hard. Will the foundation you build your life on be able to handle the challenges that life can, and will, bring? Because if it can’t, it’d be better to be proactive, strengthening (or replacing) the weak points now, rather than simply waiting until after the crash to figure out what happened.