Don't Crash and Burn - Situational Awareness

Pilots have the mantra, "Aviate, Navigate and Communicate!" or, "No matter what happens, keep flying the airplane".
Lack of Situational awareness is a major factor in aviation accidents. Loosely defined it is the ability to monitor the environment, assess changing information, and take action based on the complete picture.

Despite an interruption, a distraction, a fire, a woman delivering a baby in the back of the airplane - you cannot become distracted to the point you neglect airspeed and altitude.

This principle has some great cross-application in our spiritual lives as well. A biblical and heart-felt understanding of who I am in Christ is critical for spiritual situational awareness.

If I don't have this grounding, and daily commitment to live in God's grace, my assessment of life's irksome issues, troubles, and hurts - or even blessings, gifts and joys - can quickly become skewed. I tumble on one side into stress, anxiety, striving, comparison, jealousy. Or, on the other side, into pride, complacency, or selfishness.

I can zero in on the crisis and forget the big picture. Or, I can step back, look around and walk in truth. I am a new creation in Christ, part of a body of believers, called to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, blessed with gifts to use for God's glory, engaged in spiritual warfare, running a race, born again to a living hope and an inheritance which is eternal...

Situational awareness is a constant discipline in a good pilot. Let's have an even greater commitment to spiritual situational awareness - based on God's word - in our daily lives.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:9&10