Flying High!

I’m a pilot…or used to be. I say that tentatively since I haven’t flown an airplane in over 40 years; which means that if I actually wanted to take flight I’d have to go through a lot of refresher training. I’d have to be reminded of how an aircraft works and how to coordinate my flying with others when I’m in the air. I’d have to be reminded of the laws that regulate flying in this country. I’d have to be tested and retrained in order to fly legally and safely. There’s a lot that goes into achieving the necessary skills for piloting an aircraft and to do it safely. The advantage that I have is that I already have the license, it never expires; but in order to exercise that license legally I’d need to be evaluated. That’s a good thing; if you foul up flying an aircraft there’s a good chance that you’ll suffer real harm as a result. We don’t want that…right?

One of the interesting things about flying is that the environment in which you fly can have a significant effect on an aircraft. It’s not like driving a car. The conditions in which we drive an automobile can have some impact on our ability to drive safely: heavy rain can affect visibility; snow can impact the traction of the tires. However, when flying there are a lot more ways in which the environment can affect the performance of the aircraft, and failure to recognize that impact can have dire consequences. In an aircraft you can’t just pull over if you run into problems, you need to anticipate and monitor the conditions in which you’re flying in order to stay safe and get to where you want to go. It wasn’t that long ago that a pilot flying a helicopter in the Los Angeles area crashed into a mountain side killing everybody on board. He’d been caught off guard when he lost visibility unexpectedly. People outside Los Angeles probably wouldn’t have heard much about it if not for the fact that Kobe Bryant, a former Los Angeles basketball star, was on the flight. Flying is a wonderful way of traveling, but there are risks involved.

In some ways the Christian walk is like flying. Just as a pilot is exposed to a different, and complex, dimension for travel, Christians are made aware of the spiritual dimension of life. Some people are exposed to this before they accept Jesus as their Savior: through witchcraft or some form of Eastern religion. In any case accepting the Messiah as our Savior involves recognizing the existence of God and His provision of salvation through His Son, raised from the dead. We invest, to one degree or another, in a spiritual reality. The question is, to what extent do we understand that reality and take it seriously? Is God really there? Is the spiritual reality presented in the Bible relevant? And if it is, how does that reality affect everyday life? Is there really a devil seeking to thwart the extension of the truth to a lost and dying world? If we agree with and affirm what Scripture presents to us then I think it would be helpful to unpack some of the things involved with this aspect of our Christian walk. We need to develop our understanding of these circumstances and learn how to establish and maintain our relationship with the Lord, serving His purposes in what can only be termed a turbulent spiritual environment.

This is what pilots have to do. Understanding the circumstances in which they fly is crucial for safe travel through the air. When an aircraft lifts off the ground it will crash immediately if it’s not properly handled. The wings moving through the air provide lift, but that lift is affected by the direction and intensity of the wind and the distribution of the cargo—meaning people and baggage. This means that there must be proper preparation of the aircraft and proper handling of it as soon as it begins to move. In order for the pilot to maintain safe flight these aspects of flying must be understood and properly addressed. When we fly commercially we don’t consider these things, but pilots and their ground crews, along with air traffic controllers, take these things into consideration in order to insure a safe flight that gets us to where we want to go.

As Christians we need to think in these terms. We need to make the effort to maintain a safe and balanced walk with God that will get us where we need to go. To do this we need to recognize the conditions that inform our path and employ actions that provide for safe travel; simple…right? It can be if we understand what we’re doing; although simple may not be the right term here. It might be better to say that our walk can be serviceable, effective and successful if we watch what we’re doing; if we understand what we’re doing; and if we live our lives purposely. Pilots are focused on what they’re doing and Christians should do the same. To do that we have to invest in serving the Lord and His Church in whatever manner the Father stipulates for us, and to be informed followers of the Messiah who take the Bible seriously and apply it to every feature of our lives.

To demonstrate this let’s think about some of the basic features of doing life as a Christian…in America…now. Basically we’re on our own; we have the freedom to choose the path of our lives and the manner in which we engage that path. Along these lines, most of us give focus to finding a means to support ourselves and those who are close to us. We have to make decisions regarding shelter, acquiring sustenance, and providing protection for our households. Our understanding of these things usually comes from our parents and we, in turn, pass them on to our children. Questions arise regarding how much the government should be involved in these concerns. However, the focus here is not the government of this country, as influential as that may be; our focus is on the progress of the Kingdom, i.e. our place before God and our efforts to serve His purposes. That should be the foundation for everything we do including the manner in which we make a living and provide for our families. How do we go about doing life before a Holy God who has “called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”? (1 Peter 2:9)

My answer, in general terms, is to say that we need to do what a pilot must do in order to take flight and get to where she wants to go safely. The pilot does that by understanding her aircraft, understanding the environment in which she’s flying, and employing what she knows and perceives in her effort to actually fly through the air safely, navigating her way to the desired destination. It sounds sort of complicated doesn’t it? To an experienced pilot: not so much. To someone who knows what they’re doing, evaluating the condition of the aircraft, checking the weather conditions, and setting a course for travel is all second nature. Is that how it is for you? Is it second nature to do what’s necessary to navigate to your desired destination in concert with your heavenly Father? Or are you really not giving your walk much thought? Maybe you go to church, read your Bible a little, pray when it’s necessary and give needed focus to the job and the family; isn’t that what Christians do? When needs arise you seek the Lord. Someone’s sick, you pray for them; your finances get jammed you ask the Lord for help; you have an argument with the spouse, you talk it over prayerfully. Those are not bad responses; but they’re reactions to the difficulties of life. Pilots have to do that when they’re in flight: winds can shift, engine performance can become compromised, or ice can form on the wings. All of these things can diminish the performance of the aircraft and the pilot is forced to address them using her understanding of the machine to deal with the problem. But if all she did was react to problems as they arise, she’d be risking life and limb before she even got off the ground! What’s needed is awareness: awareness of how her plane works, awareness of the current conditions in which she will fly, and a continuous monitoring of everything that pertains to the flight from beginning to end. Along the way problems may arise, and the pilot addresses them using her knowledge of the aircraft and her knowledge of the environment in which she is flying.

This is how Christians can effectively navigate their course in life. In the first place there’s the need to engage in proper preparation for the journey; and proper preparation is derived from a proper understanding of themselves and the environment in which they travel. Then a Christian must maintain an alert attention to the circumstances that arise as they progress through that environment. How does that work? First of all, we have to understand our mode of transportation. As a Christian we need to understand that our vehicle for moving through life is walking; we walk where we need to go; which is a biblical way to describe all of our movements throughout the day regardless of what mode of transportation we’re using. But walking safely and effectively involves a variety of elements. It’s not just putting one foot in front of another. We need to watch what we’re doing and be aware of the environment in which we walk. Just as pilots need to insure that the controls of the aircraft are in order and give attention to the current conditions in which they’re flying, so too Christians need to pay attention to their posture before the Lord and consider the environment in which they’re walking.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Along with assessing the condition of the aircraft and the environment in which they’re flying, pilots also need to stay in touch with ground control, especially during take-off and landing. Pilots need to coordinate their flying with the other aircraft in their vicinity and listen for pertinent weather reports in order to stay safe. In the same way Christians need to continually stay in touch with the Lord; through prayer and by staying alert for His counsel.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:6-8)

The Lord wouldn’t be telling us these things if they weren’t true, but the reality of them isn’t necessarily obvious. We need to believe these things and give attention to their validity as we go throughout our day. And this is why we need to prayerfully consider our environment as we begin our daily walk through this world; and why we need to continually monitor our walk in a posture of prayerful faith. After all, Christians don’t walk alone, do they? They better not! What they need to do is walk with the Lord. That means we need to check in with Him, see what He has to say about where we are, and where we’re going.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Our vehicle is ourselves moving in concert with God. Just as a pilot continually checks the condition of his aircraft in flight, we need to check our condition before the Lord. Are we paying attention to our posture before God, informed by our familiarity with His Word? What kinds of circumstances are we in? If they’re particularly challenging then we better approach the situation in concert with the Lord or we could crash and burn. One of the ongoing questions for a pilot is: what’s the weather like? We should be asking ourselves what kinds of conditions are influencing our walk and how are we dealing with them? The pilot must understand how the aircraft is affected by the current conditions. Aircraft and their engines are affected by things like temperature and atmospheric pressure, and the question is: will the aircraft perform sufficiently in flight? In the same fashion the Christian is impacted by conditions that are presented to them. Questions need to be asked regarding the people and the circumstances that are being presented to us as we go. Some situations are more demanding than others. The question is what state of mind are we in currently? What does Scripture have to say about such circumstances? Are we ready? Are we watching what we’re doing? Along with this is our effort to maintain our weight and balance as we move through the circumstances we’re in. Just as a pilot needs to assess how much of a load his aircraft can carry and how to distribute that load in order to maintain safe and level flight, we need to determine how much of a load we should take on in order to maintain a balanced posture regarding the things of God. Even if the weight of a load is within limits—meaning it’s something that an aircraft is capable of carrying—a pilot must see to it that the load is distributed properly in order to insure balanced flight. It’s the same for the Christian walk. Christians need to consider what they’re capable of doing and balance that with what is being demanded of them. This is something that every member of a church needs to understand. We’re prompted to actively participate in a gathering of fellow believers in order to develop a mature walk with the Lord. However, the manner in which that takes place needs to be prayerfully examined. Participation in our church can be measured by two extremes: either we don’t participate at all, or we constantly engage in church activities. Both approaches are dangerous. We need each other to progress in the faith, but too much involvement can be detrimental as well leading to burn-out. What we need is a balanced approach that is nourishing for our souls and contributes to the wellbeing of the church body as a whole.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

I’m on the move toward the Kingdom and I hope you are. The challenge is to get to where we need to go—where we’ve been called to go—inspired by the revelation of the Christ and informed by what the Lord has provided for the journey. As Christians we’ve got the license to make the flight, but we need to develop and maintain the skills for safe and level flying in order to get to our destination safely.

Praise the Lord!