God is My Co-Pilot (NOT!)

Christian, Devos and Inspiration, Faith, mel's world, melissa mashburn, speak to my soul sunday's, Stay at Home Mom, Thoughts
I guess it was from my trip this week, but I really started thinking about flying, airplanes, and that saying from a couple of years ago, “God is My Co-Pilot”. Then I thought…hum, why on earth would God be the co-pilot and not the pilot…it just didn’t make sense.

So, when I came across this verse I knew that I was right on track.

Check this out, Mark 34-37 (The Message)
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat (or cockpit as the pilot, emphasis and paraphrase mine); I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Ouch…I am not in the driver’s seat
and God is definitely NOT my co-pilot,
HE is my pilot.

I have to admit though that I sometimes struggle with this one. I am a get it done kind of girl and we tend to like to handle things ourselves. You know us…we make a prayer request and when God doesn’t “get around to it quick enough” we take it back and say, “You know what God…I know you are busy, so I will take this one back for a bit.”

A very good friend told me one time, when she saw me doing this (repeatedly), to take off my “Junior God Badge”. I was hurt, frustrated, and a little taken aback from her candid reply to me, but when I started to think about it I knew that she was right.

I am NOT in the driver’s seat.
I should not run from suffering (had my fair share of this).
I should drop everything that is holding me back and follow Him with complete abandonment.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

I don’t know about you but;
I am finally ready to retire from the driver’s seat,
from my Junior God Badge,
and from being the pilot.

It’s not up to me, it’s all up to Him. It is not easy, but I know that if I seek Him each and every day He will guide my steps.

Wherever He leads I will follow…”Here I am Lord, send me!”, my life is not my own…it’s all yours!

Taking a Back Seat to the Pilot,

18 Comments

  2. Great post Mel. I love the Junior God badge. I am sorry it was hurtful to you at the time but I think there are a lot of us women wearing that badge myself included.
    Thank you for listening to Him as you post these timely messages.
    Blessings my friend,
    Linda

  3. O.K. you are like the 4th thing this morning alone that God is using to speak to me about a huge issue I have! Speak Lord I am listening! Thanks for being used of Him this morning! I am scared that I will fail again, but I need to remember that I cannot fail where he is in control and leading me! Please pray that I will give up my control and desires to Him, and that once and for all I will be free!!

  5. Denise,
    It’s great that you let it happen so easily and freely, I admire that totally!

    Linda,
    Thank you for always being so kind and supportive. It felt good to take off the badge. Now, if I could keep it off that would be even better.

    Stone Gatherer,
    I LOVE It when HE does that…after the 2nd one you are like, ok God…what are you trying to tell me, then when you get 4 messages you are like…WOW, He’s totally telling me something here.

    Sue,
    I have really enjoyed adding the Message Bible to my daily reading…it has opened my eyes to verses that I have known and loved in new and refreshing ways.

  6. Hi Mel, great post , It can be so hard to give up control. The Lord showed me that I never have control, I just think I do. (ouch). Well I cant be the Holy Spirit, or a Junior God, so I might as well be what He created me to be… ME, A Daughter of the KING:) Have a Great week my friend:)

  7. Hey Mel … I never come to your blog and leave without being inspired ! Thanks for all that you share ! It sure gives me lots to “chew” on !

  8. Melissa this is exactly what God has been teaching me lately. I need to completely surrender all of my heart, life and soul and follow him with abandonment.

    I do need to allow Him to be the pilot, the driver and the leader…the one in control.

    Oh and by the way…when He is in the driver’s seat I can’t be in the back seat yelling out commands…God doesn’t like “back seat driver” either… Oh a life long lesson, but one I want to learn!

  9. AMEN. Us “get it done gals” do try to earn our junior God badges! Just trying to be helpful God! 🙂 Yeah. We need to make sure we don’t have our hands on the wheel or like SharonB said above that we aren’t trying to be backseat drivers. Cooperating and taking in control are two different things.

    Thanks Mel!

    Blessings,
    Mel 2

  10. I’m like you, a get ‘er done girl and definitely needed to hear this. Though in the last year I have let God lead in certain areas there’s more he needs to take charge of in my life!

  11. Wow! I went to get my Bible and find what I read JUST LAST NIGHT! You must look up 2Chronicles, chapter 16. Read all of it, but notice especially verses 7 and 12. This is an example of what happened to a king who DID not allow God to handle the situation and then did NOT consult God about an illness. Please look it up! This was a lesson I needed to hear. Thank you for sharing!

  12. A brilliant post Melissa !!

    You really know how to inspire and make me think and “fix”.

    Glad you are back safely.

    Missed you,
    Gezina

  14. Good Morning my friend,

    I suffer from that “GET IT DONE” problem too. I have learned to sit still and enjoy the ride. He (the Lord) is a much better driver than I am.

    Hugs,
    Hope

  15. I’m always taking things back. Or I’m like the “back-seat driver” and saying “can You do it this way?” so that I don’t have to go through stuff. Great post and food for thought.

  16. I found this to be a good reminder. We often go about our day leading ourselves where we want to go. Here’s to reminding ourselves that where He leads, we follow.

  17. Mel,

    Another great and thought provoking post. I’m a “doer” and a “fixer” myself, and I’m getting my own kind of reminder these days because I’ve been diagnosed with an iron deficiency and now understand why I can’t keep up my normal pace. Hopefully, after two months on iron pills, I will REMEMBER this and not jump back in the driver’s seat. Hopefully.

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