On March 30, 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was shot and Vice-President Bush was out of communication, Secretary of State Alexander Haig repeatedly insisted that he was in charge of the Federal Government. He was wrong. This lack of understanding of who was in charge may have seriously ended Haig’s career, and certainly it ended hopes he had of running for President.
We have to know who is actually in charge to please God. If we get that wrong, it won’t just cost us a career, it will cost us eternity. I have said, over the years, that I believe the idea expressed by some bumper stickers is totally incorrect: “God is My Copilot.” The fact is that God must be the Pilot, and I must be the copilot of my life. I believe that this is the problem for many who profess faith in God. They have the order mixed up. While this statement implies an involvement by God, it fails to recognize the preeminence of God in one’s actions. I need to make sure that God is in charge.
Another saying I have talked about is “God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It.” I would correct that to say, “God Said it, That Settles It, I must believe it.” The point here is the authority of God. God’s Word is “settled” (Psalms 119:89). It is true regardless of whether I believe it or not. I must submit to His will, which is truth (John 17:17). The prophet clearly stated the need for God to be in charge. Jeremiah 10:23 reads, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Solomon repeated the same phrase in Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25, which says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” We need God.
Who is in charge in your life, in your home, in the local congregation, etc.? It is up to us to put God in charge and to follow His will in every phase of our lives. We must be His obedient, faithful servants, praying for wisdom (James 1:5) and humility to submit to the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6).
