We all, with unveiled face,
beholding…the glory of the Lord… —2 Corinthians 3:18
“In the early stages of the
Christian life, disappointments will come— people who used to be lights will
flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away. We have to get
so used to it that we will not even realize we are standing alone. Paul said,
“…no one stood with me, but all forsook me….But the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me…” (2 Timothy 4:16-17). We must build our faith not on fading
lights but on the Light that never fails. When “important” individuals go away
we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, so that only one thing is
left for us to do— to look into the face of God for ourselves.[…] A Christian
servant is one who perpetually looks into the face of God and then goes forth
to talk to others. The ministry of Christ is characterized by an abiding glory
of which the servant is totally unaware— “…Moses did not know that the skin of
his face shone while he talked with Him” (Exodus 34:29).[…] The secret of the
servant’s life is that he stays in tune with God all the time.” CHAMBERS
I was thinking about flight
school as I was reading Chambers this morning.
When I was in the beginnings of flight school, they trained us to fly a
helicopter that had very simple controls.
The instructor pilot was sitting next to me. When the aircraft was about to get the best
of me, he would take the controls, stabilize everything and then have me try
again. As the days past, he had to do
that less often until he was just going along for the ride. But, I thought that he was an essential part
of the helicopter. If he was not next to
me, there was no way that it would fly.
Then one day after we landed, he got out and told me to fly it without
him. They call that a solo flight. Well, to my surprise, I discovered that he
was not what was keeping the helicopter in the air. There was some other power doing that. He had been my teacher, my “discipler”, if
you will.
With respect to my faith, I
have had a number of men in my life who have done the same for me. They were a part of my life for a while. I got used to them being there. And then, one day, they were not. I was flying solo. But even though they were not in the seat
next to me, the source of the power was still there. It was up to me to apply what I had been
taught. Like flying the helicopter, I
was not a perfect pilot. I made
mistakes, but not mistakes unto death.
There are days that I long for an opportunity to walk with, serve with,
talk with, pray with those men. But now,
I am the one making disciples. I am in
the seat next to the student pilot.
Showing and teaching and watching.
A co-worker asked me, “Are you a mentor?” I was surprised at her question, but on reflection,
realized that I am indeed. How did that
happen? Two things I think. First I had good instructor pilots. Second, I applied what they taught me as I fly
through life. I realize that even though
it appears that I am flying solo, the source of the power is in me, the Spirit
of God. And He is in you as well. (Acts
1:8) “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
even to the remotest part of the earth.”
(Matthew 28:18-20) “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all
that I commanded you”
Charley Elgin
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