Ensure a Successful Flight…

This past weekend in our Road Trip series, Pastor Eric educated us about Road Hazards and how to respond to them. We’ve been introduced to the Jesus of Nazareth School of Flight, learning how to expertly fly in our faith, over life’s bumps and hazards.

Airplanes were not meant to be driven, they were meant to be flown. We can’t just drive our airplanes….our faith has wings and these grace-fueled wings were meant to fly – it’s high time we learned how.

Here is our “Flight Checklist” to help us soar to new heights (instead of getting stuck in the muck) in the midst of life’s bumps in the road:

Ask yourself, “Is this an area of my life I need to work on?” and go to God to seek direction.

1. Set HEALTHY BOUNDARIES. (Boundaries protect you from people who want to take advantage of you.
Learn to say no, learn to move on.)

2. Learn to use CRITICISM. (If your critics are right, say thank you, make the necessary changes. If wrong, pray for them, take it to God. Do not get defensive. Don’t let your enemies put their weapons into your hands by becoming like them.)

3. Start seeing PAIN as GOD’S GRACE. (If things were not painful, we would not reach out for the help we need. Pain is often God’s invitation for something better for us. Let pain open up our mouths in prayer and not complaint.)

4. Let the PROBLEM GUIDE YOU.

5. Choose ONWARD and UPWARD.

6. Put your PROBLEMS to WORK.

7. Look for GRACE in the DARKNESS.

8. Set your WINGS toward VICTORY. (When bad things happen, do you pray or do you pout?)

9. End COMPLAINT from your LIPS, then your THOUGHTS, then your LIFE. (Gratitude is the antidote to complaint.)

10. Trust the God will SAVE THE DAY.

If your faith remains intact in this very difficult life, you can rise unscathed from absolutely anything. Let’s quit “driving” our airplanes and learn at last how to fly on the wings of our faith.