Parable of Faith

April 2, 2000

Faith takes us beyond ourselves

Faith is not knowledge or a collection of helpful information. Faith is not a magic lamp to rub when we want something. Faith is not a legalistic system of laws. Faiths in not simply declaring to the pollsters that we believe in some God, somewhere out there. Faith is acting like God will keep his promises. It is trusting his lead. It is believing Jesus came to this planet to provide the ultimate sacrifice to assure forgiveness and a place in the family of God. It is a gift that grows from tiny beginnings to glorious moments. Faith is our response to our faithful God.

A parable of faith
Imagine that your flight instructor has just certified your training and you have in your hand a brand new private pilot's license you are checked-out to operate a Cessna 152.

You can hardly believe it and you can't wait to show off your new skills. But, right now you are a passenger on a 747 aircraft headed across the country.

Shortly after the huge plane reaches cruising altitude, a frightened flight attendant announces that there has been an attempted hijacking on the flight deck. The bad news is the poisonous gas brought on board by the hijackers has killed everyone on the flight deck; the good news is the gas is gone.

"Please," she cries, "is there a pilot on the plane?"

No one responds, so with no other options available, you raise your hand and sheepishly volunteer. Your fellow passengers cheer with misguided delight. It doesn't take long to realize you're in deep trouble. You're used to a grouping of six flight instruments. The 747 has gauges, electronics, flashing lights, switches and dials you've never seen before. And to make is worse, you don't even know where the radio is.

Just as the hopelessness of your situation sinks in, someone taps you on the shoulder.

"Sorry to frighten you," says a stranger with friendly eyes, "but, I was in the lavatory when the announcement was made. I'm a test pilot and a design engineer for the company that built this aircraft. I'll land it if you'd like."

What do you do? Of course, you could say, "No, I'll handle it myself."

I hope you eagerly turn the controls over to the one who already knows everything about the aircraft.

In your life, do you fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, recklessly pretending you know what you're doing? Or, do you turn the controls over to the design engineer who knows you better than you know yourself? Who do you trust?

Looking for a learner's manual?

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Enjoy the journey!