As a pilot, when I think of the word “avoid,” it has to do with anything I can use to keep from hitting another aircraft up there. As a pilot, you might be a believer in the “big sky and golden bullet theory” which says you can fly anywhere in any conditions (in clouds or not) and likely survive that flight simply because it wasn’t your turn to take the unlucky “golden bullet” of hitting another airplane. Yes, it is a big sky out there. But, I never believed in that theory, I never found another pilot who believed in that theory, and, as an Air Force pilot, I learned that the American taxpayer doesn’t subscribe to that theory either.
So, we always went through extra effort to file a flight plan to let others know where we were going and how we’d get there. We maintained contact with radar controllers on the ground who would watch us and let us know when someone else was getting close. We meticulously mapped out our route of flight and flew at altitudes that would assure we would not encounter clouds with mountains in them (“cumulo-granite” clouds). Our final line of defense was to keep “our head out of the cockpit” constantly clearing for other aircraft all the time. We were trained in patterns of eye movement so that we could efficiently devote time to seeing others before the equation force equals mass times acceleration was put in play.
Avoidance is an intentional, conscious decision we make to operate safely in the heavens.
This can’t be what millennials are doing with the gospel. God is in constant pursuit of you regardless of your generation. You can’t avoid Him no matter your belief in a “big world theory.” He has dreams for you even if your dreams don’t include Him. His reality is unmistakable to you when there are times you should have been injured in an accident but He was there, or in the birth of your children that is the most obvious miracle of them all, or when you can’t just put your finger on how you have survived as long as you have in your current circumstances. His presence in, provision for, and providence over your life are unmistakable.
We all are inevitably confronted by the Gospel and we have to decide for or against Christ. Your choice is unavoidable. You can’t avoid Him. To not decide for Christ is a decision. So, I would highly encourage you to stop deceiving yourselves by trying to avoid the Gospel regardless of your generational affiliation. There are a lot of people in every generation who struggle with and reject the gospel. My prayer is that you won’t.
File a “flight” plan with a Church. Discover “radar controllers” there who will help you identify when tough times are getting close. Get in to the word to make sure the earth won’t get in the way of your personal, spiritual growth. And, keep your head out of the cockpit to anticipate when Christ is getting close. Study what the scripture says about how to look for His return. Here’s a hint: it involves clouds.
You see, acceptance of the Gospel and our Lord Jesus Christ is an intentional, conscious decision we make to operate safely in the heavens. If you find yourself saying, “it’s not as simple as that,” then hear me: it’s never more difficult than that.