Flying on Eagle's Wings

Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

1 Cor 4:5 ESV

Wilbur and Orville Wright were men of incredible talent and perseverance. Neither possessed a college education but what they accomplished in their lives was amazing none the less. At a time when flying was thought to be the exclusive purview of birds, kites, and floating balloons, they studied and perfected the art of aviation. Throughout the years of long hours and dogged determination they were ignored and ridiculed. The residents of Kitty Hawk came and watched the two brothers as they ran up and down the beach mimicking birds by flailing their arms in the air. In their bid to sell their Flyer III to the US government they were rejected no less than four times. But their persistence finally paid off as their experiments in flight yielded amazing results. The world, that had long written them off as fanciful idiots, would eventually flock to Dayton to see a man in flight.

One of the fundamental mistakes that we all make as human beings is to allow others to evaluate our lives and give us their verdict. We wait with bated breath as their hold out their hand with a thumb that will either be thrust high in the air or cast down to the ground. When the thumb of man has made its decision we are either elated or deflated, but to what end I ask. Are the opinions of men really that valuable when God is at work in our lives? How can man see what is only visible to God? Our life story is not over until He says, and so, man has no right to render his judgment and we are foolish to listen.

Jesus promised us greater works then He had done while on this earth. He was referring to the promise of the Holy Spirit who would be given after He had ascended to Heaven. It really is an amazing prediction when you think of all that Jesus accomplished and the miracles He performed. However, the Lord was not referring to our ability to walk on water or heal the lame. His prediction was much more profound than that. Jesus, throughout the centuries, would make saints out of sinners and use us in the process.

Years ago, I went to a writers’ conference and sat down with an elderly gentleman who evaluated a book that I had written. After reading a page and a half he set it down on the table and told me that it would never sell, that what I had written was, in his words, too dark. For a moment I was discouraged until a thought occurred to me. It is impossible after reading such a short section of a long novel that this man could come to a proper evaluation of my work. Rather than being disheartened, he left me more determined than ever to keep writing. I would never again allow a man to evaluate the work that I hoped God was doing through my pen or life. Let me encourage you to walk away from the opinions of men. They may mean well but only God has the right to judge us and He is not done with us yet.