Taking Flight

My daughter’s keen eye caught a moving object in our back yard. Upon closer examination we saw that the very small object was, in fact, a small bird. It appeared that it had either fallen from the nest or the parents had pushed it out. At first we thought its’ wing was broken because there was not much movement…only loud chirping. But without warning it began jumping and flapping as if it would soon be in flight. I decided to venture outside to take a closer look. Just call me “Steve Irwin.” As I made my way outside, my earlier thoughts of abandonment were squelched as angry family members began swooping at me from all sides. Luckily I thwarted the situation without injury or a splat on my head. The little bird continued to exercise it’s wings and legs but for some reason could not fly. Over the next few minutes, I observed something pretty amazing. The other birds began flying at the baby bird and pecking it on the backside. Initially I thought this was mean but then I understood what they were doing. They were attempting to help this helpless bird fly. As each bird came down from the air, the baby would try to take flight. After 15-20 minutes I gave up hope and went back in the house. I wondered what ever happened to the baby bird until I was walking in the yard the following day. In almost the exact spot where I first saw the bird were its remains. I felt bad for the tiny, helpless bird. It was trying its hardest, but never had what it took to actually fly. Something was missing.While spending most of my life growing up in the church, I have seen this scenario repeated over and over – professing Christians never taking flight. There is some jumping, some flapping, but ultimately there is no long-term commitment to following Christ. Don’t get me wrong. No one is perfect. There are times when all of us jump, flap, and fall flat on our face; however, genuine believers seek forward progress in their relationship with Jesus Christ. By forward progress I mean that there is a constant desire to follow God’s ways. Again, there will be times when we will sin and even attempt to run from God, but He will finally get our attention and we’ll submit to His will. When God’s Spirit lives in us and we surrender our will, He is faithful to continue making us more like Him in our attitudes, actions, and desires. When Paul writes to the church of Philippi, he says that they can be confident “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). In the past, God has given us salvation through His Son (regeneration – new birth). In the present, God continues making us more like Him (process of sanctification). In the future, our full salvation will be realized when we spend eternity in His presence (glorification). Is there forward progress in your life? If not, stop where you are and start heading the other way. Allow God to have His way. How can this be done? Pick up God’s word again. Spend time talking with Him in prayer. Connect at a deeper level with people at church. Get accountable with a mature Christian friend. Don’t waste your life on the ground. Take flight.