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by David Cerullo
I recently read
an article about a young pilot named Bret who decided to skip the preflight
checklist before takeoff.
However, right
before liftoff, a dark brown film covered the plane’s windshield. He realized
with horror that it was OIL!
Since there
wasn’t enough runway left to abort the takeoff, Bret had no choice but to
proceed.
Yet he knew his
life was in jeopardy. If something catastrophic was wrong with the engine, he
had mere seconds before it stalled.
“Lunken tower,
this is Cessna Eight Eight Uniform,” he urgently radioed the control
tower. “My windshield is covered with oil, and I’m returning for an
immediate landing.”
Thankfully,
Bret was able to make a safe landing. But he was eager to find out what had
caused his terrifying ordeal.
“As I opened
the oil door on top of the engine, I discovered that the cap on the filler
point was not in place,” Bret recalls.
“One small,
easily preventable oversight led to this in-flight emergency.”
Bret concludes
that this very frightening event could have been prevented if he had just
followed his standard preflight checklist.
As someone who
had a civilian pilot’s license, I found Bret’s story fascinating.
Most people
don’t get into problems in their life because of “big” issues but because they
neglected the basics.
Don’t Miss the
Basics
Bret isn’t the
only one who sometimes takes shortcuts. Perhaps you’ve done something similar,
putting yourself in jeopardy because of neglecting some basic procedure or
truth.
Actually,
that’s a very good observation!
Too often,
those who make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior are not given the tools they
need to grow in their relationship with Him.
Yes, they’ve
been born again into God’s Kingdom, but they aren’t ready for a good “takeoff
” in the Christian life.
A Helpful Checklist
Contrary to
some people’s misconception, the Christian life isn’t really very complicated.
It’s not an
oversimplification to suggest that the entire Christian life involves five
basic connections – a helpful checklist to use on your pathway to spiritual
growth:
Connection to
GOD:
Before you
worry about any other changes in your life, this should be the starting place.
Without a vital
connection with the Lord, your best efforts will surely fall short.
Jesus put it
bluntly when He said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5
NASB).
You will need intentionality and persistence, making
your relationship with God the top priority.
And to know Him better, you must set aside regular
time for prayer and worship.
Connection with PEOPLE:
Unless you’re a hermit, you already have a number of
connections with other people.
As you assess the people in your life, you may
discover that some relationships should be deleted or minimized, especially
ones that are toxic, negative, or overly draining.
Once again, changes like these will require
intentionality on your part, and perhaps some difficult decisions.
Connection with TRUTH:
Practically any major problem in a person’s Christian
life can be traced to believing some kind of lie instead of God’s truth.
Jesus called Satan not only a liar but also “the
father of lies” (John 8:44
NASB).
So, it shouldn’t be any surprise that the devil’s main
strategy is to spread lies to undercut our trust in God’s faithfulness and the
promises in His Word.
As you study the Bible on a daily basis and meditate
on what it says, the enemy’s lies will be replaced and you’ll be “transformed
by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Aren’t you glad this is included on your “checklist”
for an abundant, fulfilling life in the Lord?
Connection with CHARACTER:
Over the years, I’ve met many believers who’ve become
shipwrecked because they refused to deal with long-standing issues of character
and maturity.
As a result, they were robbed of their joy and peace,
and hindered in their fruitfulness.
Passages like Matthew 12:33 and Galatians 5:19-23
speak of the importance of having the right kind of “fruit” in our
lives.
This is simply a way to illustrate that our character
is supposed to increasingly reflect the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
If you don’t like the kind of fruit you see in your
life right now, I encourage you to go back to the very beginning of this
“Connection” checklist.
Have you prioritized your connection with God?
Do you have healthy relationships with people?
Are you counteracting Satan’s lies with a growing
knowledge of God’s truth?
If these first three connections are strong, your
character will be transformed as well.
Connection to SERVICE:
Ideally, your
service should flow from the spiritual gifts and passions the Lord has given
you, but sometimes you’ll be called upon just to fill a need you see.
As you reach out to bless others as God has blessed
you, you’ll find more of His blessings being released into your own life as
well (Genesis 12:2,
Acts 20:35).
From a Biblical standpoint, it’s impossible to have a
truly abundant life unless your abundance spills over to touch a lost and needy
world.
A Checklist for Eternity
So how did you do on your checklist?
Are you ready for takeoff?
As King David discovered, the Lord’s “goodness and
mercy” can follow you all the days of your life.
David Cerullo is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Inspiration
Ministries, located in Indian Land, South Carolina – a ministry dedicated to
impacting people for Christ worldwide through media. The son of international
evangelist Morris Cerullo, David took a less traditional approach to ministry,
graduating from Oral Roberts University with a degree in business
administration and management. He has authored over 20 books, and operates a
global media ministry that powerfully impacts the world for Christ. More from David on
Inspiration.org.
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