Co-Pilot

I was recently coming home from a quick trip to Nashville, Tennessee, when I saw something that inspired this thought for the week. I had actually stopped to get myself a McDonald’s coffee (which was richer, bolder, and more robust, by the way), when I noticed a sign in the window of a parked car. It said very simply, “God is my co-pilot.”

I was sick.

In my mind, that is the absolute worst mentality that you can possess as a Christian. The heathen at least have the mentality that there is no God, but this “God is my co-pilot” mentality actually says, “I know that there is a God, and I am he.”

God is not interested in being your co-pilot. He is either your Pilot, the Lord of your life, or you are fooling yourself. You will never be the Lord of His life. You are finite. He is infinite. He may be your Parachute, your Savior in time of great need, but never will He be interested in being your co-pilot.

We would do well; however, to adapt the mentality that we are God’s co-pilots… that He is in control and we are just along for the ride. The co-pilot status may still be a bit much for us, though. Slave would be more accurate. Yes, Jesus calls us friend, but He never asks us to take the wheel.

In the message, Eugene Peterson does a beautiful job of paraphrasing the words of Jesus on this subject:

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat –I am” (Luke 9 23).

God is not your co-pilot. The very thought is an insult to His righteousness. Would a co-pilot lay down His life on the cross? Would a co-pilot shed His blood for the forgiveness of sins? As the old saying goes, only the Captain goes down with the ship.

Amazingly, this Great Captain that I speak of did go down with the ship of our sin, and He rose from the grave. Do not insult the One who was victorious over death by claiming that He is your co-pilot. I would advise you to acknowledge His supremacy, acknowledge your great need for Him, and ask Him if you can get on board with what He is doing in the world. You’re not in the driver’s seat –He is.