Years ago, on a personal retreat, I read a book called The Will of God.

It was during a time of questioning my calling and evaluating my own walk with the Lord, and I was considering next steps. At the end of the book, I found this illustration from a fighter pilot—an illustration to which I still run when I'm tested with big decisions:

For a number of reasons, most of our flying was done in formations of aircraft—three, six, 12, or 18 in a group. ... The flight leader had to keep the airplanes in close formation in order to guide them through maneuvers. So, we flew very close together for effectiveness and for safety.

Formations cannot maneuver as easily as a single aircraft, and we would sometimes be in the clouds for short distances. The visibility would be almost zero. Sometimes one could not see any part of the next plane. There was an uneasy feeling when the clouds were full of airplanes with fourteen-foot propellers turning eighteen hundred revolutions per minute.

We trimmed the aircraft control surfaces to remain in formation with the lead plane even with "hands off" the controls. We did this while we were in the clear. Then, when we entered the clouds the planes would maintain their relative positions for a reasonably short time even if we lost sight of the other planes in the clouds. The secret was to have the airplane on course and steady before entering the clouds. Then, when visibility was lost, we kept everything just like it was. No climbing, turning, or diving. No changes! Straight ahead. The undisciplined pilot was tempted to bolt. That would have led to certain disaster. The safest course: Go right on doing what you were doing.

The point is this: Our responsibility is to walk with the Lord faithfully and fully. We set our sights on Him, focus our lives toward Him, direct the world to Him—and we stay committed and focused even when storm clouds gather and we can't fully see where we're going. That is, we set our instruments in the clear and trust them in the clouds.

When we're not walking with the Lord in the clear, we're already not prepared for the storms. If we are walking with the Lord, though, what we don't do is adjust our instruments just because we're in the storm. If we do that, we might find ourselves moving in the wrong direction once the skies have cleared up again.

Chuck Lawless is dean of doctoral studies and vice president of spiritual formation and ministry centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he also serves as professor of evangelism and missions. In addition, he is team leader for Theological Education Strategists for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

For the original article, visit chucklawless.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.