Slightly Obsessed #190: A Warbird’s Lesson

Pamela Thorson

July 18, 2017

Articles

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

– Isaiah 41:10

On a recent hot July day, we took in an air show in our town.

Vintage planes, including a couple of impressive old warbirds, sat majestically on the tarmac for inspection as we darted from wing to wing to find relief from the withering heat.

These planes are still operable, so although some of them were open for people to walk through, the cockpits were off-limits for obvious reasons. No one wanted a tragedy to happen because an unauthorized person tampered with the controls. People who don’t know what they’re doing shouldn’t be in control.

Years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see the occasional bumper sticker on a car reading:

God is My Co-pilot

It was a well-meaning acknowledgement God is with us wherever we go. It’s good to look to God when we’re behind the wheel of a vehicle. But do we subconsciously apply that principle to how we run our lives? Do we treat God as the second-in-command and the Bible as a set of guidelines instead of an inspired roadmap for victory?

The person who relegates God to the co-pilot’s seat of life has a fool for a pilot. The journey through this world is a tumultuous one. Numerous hazards and unknown tempests threaten to take us down at every turn. Often the way is obscured by fog or darkness. Even experienced pilots sometimes become disoriented in the sky and fly a plane into the side of a mountain or into the ground.

What novice in his right mind would want to be in the pilot’s seat on a plane when the person who designed, built, owned, and flew the plane is available and eager to take us safely to our destination?

The real issue is trust. Do you believe God can take you home? Do you believe He has your best interests at heart? Have past disappointments made you afraid of letting God be in charge?

Controlling your own destiny is an illusion at best.

Because we are limited beings, we know little of how to negotiate the path ahead. Refusing to give our lives over to God doesn’t protect us from hurt but lands us directly into the path of destruction.

The wise traveler rejects the temptation to control the trip. He rests in the knowledge that the real professional is in charge, and he rejoices in the view from on high.

On this trip, you can relax and take a deep breath.

You’re in good hands.