Complacency Kills

My Belief

As a pilot I know that complacency is one of the biggest safety concerns we have facing us. When you fly to same cities multiple times in a month, run the same checklists every day, and essentially do the same things over and over again things are bound to become a bit routine. Things can become so routine that normal safe procedures begin to be over looked. Many times guys have said the same checklist so many times that the have it memorized and start reciting it from memory. At times people have taxied or flown the same procedure so many times that the feel that referencing the charts are no longer needed. This can become dangerous and set pilots up for big mistakes. This type of behavior can result in missing an important step on a checklist or route. We discuss cases of this happening in recurrent training every year. There is a good diagram that depicts this behavior. It is 3 circles inside of one another. The smallest circle in the middle is the green safe zone where complacency is held at bay and safety is at its highest point. The middle ring is where the pilot has drifted away from safety into the amber colored caution ring. When he continues to get away with his complacent behavior it becomes “safe” in his mind. This has become his new normal and his future drifting will be from this point. The last ring is the red danger ring. The pilot has drifted from his deviant behavior to a point where a big mistake is now imminent and safety will be compromised.

These 3 rings apply perfectly to my walk with the Lord Jesus. My green middle ring is where I am walking closely with God. I am taking time each day to read the Word, pray, and worship God. As life becomes hectic I tend to drift to a point in the outer caution ring where I don’t read regularly and I give God a “quickie” prayer. I tell myself in my head at some point later in the day I will “get around” to God. It is almost inevitable that I will drift into the last danger ring with this type of behavior. I will drift into a ring where I don’t pray, and I don’t walk with God and I am set up for failure. A failure where I will SIN against my God. In doing so I am sure to hurt myself and the ones around me. This will be a painful process that could be avoided if I would just stay on the straight and narrow in the safe center ring.

Hopefully when pilots make mistakes they are not so big that there can not be a period of reprimand and retraining. This will root them firmly back in the green safe ring. God does the same thing with me when I fail. He humbles me and brings me to my knees. I have no where to go but the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness. God has always been faithful to pick me up and dust me off. He brings me back into a safe “green circle” walk with him. Thank you God that you are Faithful even when I am not.

Scripture

James 4:8⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Matthew 7:14¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Application

I strive to be faithful to God. I want the Holy Spirit to continue leading me into better and better habits. Habits that will keep me out of dangerous sin and into a healthy walk with the Lord. I am trying to surround myself with Godly people who will help me stay firm in my walk so that I may be a powerful tool for the Lord. I think of so many people in the Bible like David and Samson who drifted into danger and paid a painful price. Lord please help me to stay in a safe walk with you.

A Call for Advice

My Belief

A good buddy of mine who also works for the airline recently called me for advice. He is a good "country" guy who is a conservative politically and a Christian in terms of his faith. The crew that he was working with was pretty much the extreme polar opposite of my friend. One in particular was an angry black man who was an atheist and a flaming homosexual. To say the combination between my friend and him were as oil and water would be a drastic understatement. This angry man learned along the course of the trip the beliefs of my friend and was inclined to let him "have it". He would say things like Christianity is the reason for slavery throughout history  and president Obama is the only "savior" the world really has. Needless to say this was killing my friend. He called me up and said, "what should I do with this guy?". He had tried debating with him a bit only to have the guy become more entrenched in his position.

My advice to my friend was to just be as friendly as possible to the guy. My friend did not like that answer very much. He said he called me for a real solution and that is all I have for him. The reason is this. Jesus did not call us debate and vigorously prove Him to everyone. He told us to LOVE and serve everyone. My friend had already shared his position of faith and the guy was not interested. So what else is there for him to do other than to be kind to the unkind and loving to the un-loveable. This was Jesus greatest command. To love the Lord your God with all of our heart and soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. When one analyzes what Jesus was saying by the term "neighbor", he was talking about everyone on the planet .             He also said a soft answer turns away wrath, and to turn the other cheek. Peter said to be prepared to give an account of the hope that you have with gentleness and respect. All of this points to one thing. We are love and be love in a world that does not want love. This is why Jesus said that God is love and love has come into the world.

Scripture

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Application

I made it my new years resolution to stop talking trash about people. I like to say things like the Cowboys suck, or a particular airline is horrible or the work groups in certain cities are awful etc... While most of this is just in jest it does not show love. It tears down and does not build up. I am praying and trying to change this in myself to conform to the will of Christ. I am going to try to even be kind to people who don't like me or people I have not liked in the past. I am going to try and be love to in everything just like Jesus is love to me. Even when I am just joking around.

I GOT MINE!

My Belief

Pilots are notoriously selfish people. Most of our lives are structured to make us just that. We work with thousands of other crewmembers that we may never see again causing us to have shallow friendships. We can aggressively manipulate our own schedules, sometimes to the detriment of a more junior pilot. In fact the quality of our careers is based entirely on our own individual seniority with an airline. This tends to create an "I got mine" attitude amongst many members of our ranks. If they are in a good position they simply don't care about any other colleague's that are not.

I sort of realize that at times I have caught myself having this same attitude about people who don't believe in Jesus. Most of the time I have a big heart toward people and I really genuinely hope and pray the will come into a saving knowledge of the gospel, but every now and then I catch myself in and evil thought. I imagine it may be a thought similar to what Jonah had when God told him to go preach in Nineveh. At times I have caught myself thinking "well forget 'em if they don't repent because I've got mine!" You know who I am talking about. The nasty person who hates everyone, or the entrenched atheist. I've had a momentary thought about the Mormon I have shared the true gospel with who is steadfast in his cult. 99% of the time I feel so sad that these people have a horrible fate awaiting them if they don't turn, but every now and then I think "whatever because I am saved by grace and so I've got mine".
This is a horrible thought and one I have to repent before the Lord for and conform to the Will of Christ. Think about what Jesus did! Even when he was nailed to the cross, He exclaimed "forgive them father for they know not what they do". This is powerful! Even when he was beaten and killed He loved the nastiest amount us. I will make it my mission to do the same. I will trap my wayward thoughts and conform them to the mind of Christ. I don't want anyone to ever suffer the fate that the Bible describes as hell. Help me Lord to love everyone the way you have Loved me.

Scripture

Luke 23:34

New International Version (NIV)

³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[a] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Application

I am praying that I will make 99% become 100%! That I will seek the help of the Holt Spirit the continue the work he has begun in me. That there will be no wrong that I can not forgive and no person that I cannot love. Jesus died for all and I pray that all will hear and repent. The worst among us deserve the same awful fate in Hell that I deserve. Jesus has pardoned me with grace, and I will pray the same for everyone I meet.