2 Corinthians 6:6 “in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love”

The sky was dark and clouded, and the birds had yet to start their singing. The early morning fog wafts across the tarmac as I, a student pilot approached the airplane. My flight block began at 7:00 a.m. and I needed to complete the required preparation. I grumbled at the pre-dawn chill during the early spring (January) morning. I grumbled at whoever had scheduled me for this early morning flight (forgetting that I had scheduled it myself). I grumbled at the fog and the forecast winds (perfectly calm, thus exceedingly hazy). I just plain grumbled.

As student pilot, safety had been drilled into me throughout the course of my pre-flight classes, and safety had again been drilled into me in the early stages of the flight classes. I was expected to have flight safety as second nature as indeed I had. As every pilot is taught and knows, I performed a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft. While most pilots, after the first couple months of training, tend to start easing up on the preflight inspection, I thoroughly combed the aircraft looking for any reason not to fly. I was meticulous in my inspection. Not only did I follow the pre-flight checklists, I inspected a few more parts. Part of this scrupulous inspection was due to my aircraft maintenance classes, but for the most part the detailed inspection was due to a combination of not wanting to fly that day and because Mr. _____ was watching me preflight. I had a ‘stage check’ (proficiency exam) and so I was flying with the assistant chief flight instructor.

One of the items that I checked (it was on the inspection checklist) was the fuel. The aircraft fuel always needed to be checked for impurities, water, or sediment. It is a standard check made on every preflight, and usually most students are inclined to shirk a proper check of the fuel, after all, these planes are flown often enough that there is no time for sediment buildup, no time for water to get into the fuel system, no time for the impurities to show up. After all, these airplanes are refueled at least twice per day.

This day, I found water in the fuel. I found a lot of water in the fuel. Somehow, between the rain from the day before, the dew of the night, and the fog of the pre-dawn, water had gotten into the fuel. This is a problem for aircraft. Water can cause a stoppage of fuel flow. Water will reduce the power available from the fuel, impurities can cause the fuel to form vapors and to form vapor lock while the engine is running (and the engine stops). If the engine stops during flight, there is an emergency. As pilots, we try to avoid emergencies. The fuel was impure. It had to be cleaned. I began to drain fuel through a filter, remove the water, and then return the fuel to the airplane until no more impurities, no more water came through the inspection spigots.

We commend ourselves as servants of God in everything we do (2 Cor 6:4). This chapter is given to us as part of our pre-service checklist. In everything that we do for the glory of God are we attempting for purity? Are we trying to be knowledgeable? Are we patient and kind? Are we acting through the Holy Spirit? The Bible and the time we spend with God is our spiritual fuel. Do we keep it clean? Do we try and remove the added things that would negate and reduce the power of our ‘fuel’? This week, let us seek and search ourselves for that which would prevent us from fully serving our Christ!

Spirit of power, anoint me for service,
Spirit of holiness, cleanse Thou my heart;
Give to my soul of Thyself a new vision,
And a new measure of power impart.