Jesus utilized children as an object lesson for true faith. He told the crowd of adults that they must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:2–3). What was His point? What was He suggesting?
Children are extremely trusting, often too trusting. When Jesus invited children to come to Him, they eagerly approached Him. They trusted Him completely. Our response to Jesus must be the same. As your Father, He asks us to trust Him with all that we are, with every bit of our existence (Prov. 3:5–6). In fact, it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6).
But faith is often difficult. Trust is a challenge. We prefer to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Is this why we feel safer in cars than planes despite the evidence that more people are killed in car accidents than plane crashes?
Physically I prefer to be in the driver’s seat. I would rather be the one holding the steering wheel; therefore, flying is not my favorite way to spend a morning or afternoon.
During one flight aboard US Scareways, I thought I was going to die. I was in a little puddle jumper prop plane going from Cincinnati to Detroit, a plane that flies out of a concourse that you did not know existed and has teenagers for pilots.
Somewhere over the great Midwest, the plane started to shake violently. It dropped real fast. People in front of me were laughing but not with a joyous laugh. It was more of a horror-movie, eerie type of laughter. The lady behind me was yelling. I heard some crying. I was admitting to God that I was an idiot for boarding a plane that could have been used in World War I.
The horror only lasted for a few minutes. Once we smoothed out, I realized I was curled up into a fetal position next to this lady who was my mom’s age. She was surprised. I was embarrassed. I assume that in the midst of the crisis, I reverted back to my childhood and was seeking comfort from my mommy.
Oddly, I have experienced worse turbulence in boats and cars than I did in the airplane ride from hell. Traveling in boats off the Miami shoreline and vehicles in Miami traffic provide a rougher ride but do not frighten me. When I am in a car or a boat, I am in control. Or at least I feel like I am. On an airplane I have no control. I don’t even see the pilot. Only occasionally do I hear his voice.
We struggle to release control. We struggle with handing the wheel to someone else to steer our lives. And our Father insists that we trust Him completely. He desires to pilot our lives, every aspect of who we are.
Do you trust your Father with every aspect of your life?
Your Father is trustworthy. While pilots are flawed, He is perfect. While pilots remain in the cockpit and rarely talk to you, your Father is highly involved in your life.
He can be trusted with every aspect of your life: your career, relationships, finances, and hobbies. Your Father does not desire to be merely included in your life, to occupy one compartment of your life. He seeks to take complete control. In fact, He brings meaning and significance to every detail of your existence.
And there is no one better to steer and pilot your life than your Father.
Adapted from Identity (2008, B&H Publishing Group)
