who is in control of the airplane...

While flying, you always have to know who is in control of the airplane. A positive exchange of the controls is necessary for safe flight. A positive exchange of flight controls includes an audible response from each pilot. The only time I have ever felt unsafe in an airplane was when I was flying with an instructor who always wanted to take control. There were times I had to ask who was in control of the airplane; should I be making the turn ahead, or was he going to force the controls to make a turn in the opposite direction? I felt like whenever we flew there was a constant battle over the controls. My last flight with the instructor I gave up trying to hold onto the controls and every time we came to land I audibly gave him the controls, because I was worried that if I didn’t audibly give him controls no one would know who was in control and we would be in danger of crashing into the tarmac.

A good instructor knows when to let me fly and when to take the controls. While training there will always be times we need help from our instructor to adjust a mistake or to demonstrate a maneuver. When they take the controls there is either a positive exchange of controls or they get on and make a small adjustment to show us that they will be there if we need them. There is not struggle over who is in control and there is never a question of who is in control.

Knowing who is in control of my airplane is crucial for a safe and smooth flight. Knowing who is in control of my life is just as important. Like a good instructor, God sits beside us in the cockpit. He is the pilot in command on the flight and we have to respect His advice and guidance. When He takes the controls we need to acknowledge His expertise and trust Him to fly. We can never fight over the controls. Give Him control and know that He is taking control so that we can learn from Him.

Even in a plane, I like being in control. I like seeing my instructor allowing me to be completely in control. He is there to help me succeed in my flying. God is there when we need Him and when we have learned from Him, He gives us the controls and allows us to fly on our own. We have to be willing to give up the controls to God, we have to be willing to admit to our shortcomings and audibly give Him the controls. Like a good instructor, He will sometimes give us the controls and as long as we aren’t putting the plane in danger, will allow us to make mistakes so that He can show us just how much we need to rely on Him.

If we are holding onto the controls to tightly and not allowing Him to help us, we could be in danger of crashing and never know it. Rather we have to admit to our weakness and audibly give Him the control. It is often difficult for me to admit weakness and give up control. But whenever I refuse to give up control problems begin coming and I find myself hearing the stall horn going off.

A positive exchange of controls always includes an audible response from each pilot. As I give God the controls of my life I am going to audibly pray that He would take the controls from me. And in response I can hear Him saying, “Child, I have control and always will be in control. You can stop fighting and allow Me to lead you, teach you and keep you safe.”