“People sign up for helicopter Jesus all the time. I cannot wait to follow Jesus, they think, because he’s my heavenly helicopter. Get me out, Father! Hoist away, Jesus!– Judah Smith
As Pastor Judah Smith concludes Chapter 4 of How’s Your Soul?, he confesses that he wishes the writer of Hebrews said helicopter of my soul rather than anchor. Judah rationalizes that, in a storm, a helicopter provides more help than an anchor. An anchor keeps you exactly where you are. In contrast, a helicopter hoists you up and flies you away from your harsh reality.
However, when we ask for your heavenly helicopter, Jesus responds: “I’m your anchor.” Pastor Smith summarizes:
“We want out . . . an escape. We want someone to remove us from the storm, but Jesus wants to be our strength and stability in the storm.”
Judah notes that Scriptures encouraging us to trust God sound great on paper (aka in theory). But when we look around at the wind and the waves, we get overwhelmed. So, when Jesus asks a question, He’s really saying something. In other words, Jesus asks rhetorical questions designed to help us reflect and learn.
In the middle of our storms, amidst the waves, Jesus asks: “Why do you doubt?” Jesus wants to remind us we really need not doubt. He is with us. Yet, we must trust in a Jesus we can’t see.
Put another way, Jesus, our anchor, does His best work unseen. While an anchor settles and wedges itself into the ocean floor, back on the surface the elements of life buffet us. In the moment, we focus on the wind and the waves. Under the surface, however, Jesus anchors us. We need to trust Jesus in the midst of our storm, because that’s when we need Him the most.
In conclusion, Judah notes Jesus often takes us from Point A to Point B in a simultaneously exhilarating and nerve-wracking way. The point?- fellowship with Jesus. The journey is secondary. As we truly get to know Jesus, we live our lives from a place of trust and rest.
Today’s question: When have circumstances tempted you to sign up for helicopter Jesus? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Love is from God”
