Last weekend Cindi and I traveled back to my home town in Ontario Canada to pick up my dad and bring him here for a week's visit while we are on vacation. While there, it happened that there was a conference at a church on the Six Nations Indian Reserve. We have been to the church many times before, and have come to know the pastor and his wife very well, so it was great to get to see them again, and go to a couple of the services. Lynn Hiles was the Saturday evening minister, and if you have never heard him preach then by all means check out his web site, and make use of what ever he offers there; I can guarantee you will be blessed! Sunday morning was another message given by Dr. Kay Fairchild, and you will find a gold mine of excellent teaching at her web site here.
I tell you all of this in part to say that during Dr. Kay's message she mentioned about the familiar bumper sticker "God is my Co-pilot", and of course she said that it was wrong theology. I talked to her afterward and told her that I had seen another bumper sticker that said "If God is your co-pilot, you are in the wrong seat!"
I also told her that at the same time she mentioned the bumper sticker and I had remembered the other one, that the Lord had brought to mind an aviation rule that I think adds to the analogy of "who is flying the plane" so to speak.
One of the first things you learn as a student pilot is that there can only be ONE person who is flying the plane at a time. This is to prevent the situation where each pilot would say "I thought YOU were flying the plane!" In order to establish who has the controls, there is what is called a "positive exchange of controls". For example, if a student is flying the airplane, and the instructor wants to take the controls, then he will say "My airplane." upon which the student will then say "Your airplane." The instructor can then repeat "My airplane." At that point, the control is now in the instructor's possession. There has been a positive exchange of controls. The one who has the controls is called the Pilot in Command, or PIC.
The same is in reverse. The instructor can hand the controls back to the student by saying "Your airplane." And the student then has to say, "My airplane." Now, the instructor can say to the student, "Do you want to fly now?" and the student can answer in the affirmative, but the instructor cannot give up control, until the student responds that it is his airplane. There has to be that positive exchange of controls verbally expressed.
This is the same verbal exchange even with two licensed pilots. And it should be noted here as well, that most airplanes, and ALL trainers have full dual controls. The plane can be flown from both the right and the left seat. Most if not all instructors will fly from the right seat, and the students and standard pilots will fly from the left seat.
What makes this even more analogous is the fact that since there is dual controls, then when the stick or rudder is moved on one side, it also moves the stick or rudder on the other side. This allows the student to lightly handle the controls in the beginning and follow along with the instructor to get the feel for how to handle the controls even while the instructor is still in control.
Depending on how far you want to take this analogy, can you at least see the point that it is best to let God control your life? If you want to take it further, which is the reason for this post, I think all too often we want to "fly our own life".
I guess you could say then that most people who doubt the existence of God think that they learned to fly by themselves, and that there is no instructor! Others, and even some Christians know that there is an instructor, but they do not trust his ability to fly, or they are sure that they are supposed to be PIC, except when they get in trouble, and then they are willing to hand over the controls.
It has been said that we are In Training for Reigning. Meaning that we are learning through our life experiences things that are necessary for us to know for when we reign and rule with Him...(as Him?) How much easier would it be now if we let God be PIC, and we just follow with Him lightly on the controls, and enjoy the experience of learning to live our life to the fullest! Trust Him in all your ways and He Will Direct Your (Flight) Path!
