Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Birdbrains Fly Smart

As I was driving to church one Sunday, I noticed a flock of migratory birds flying in a V formation. I was impressed with their precision and strength. Once again, nature reminded me that there’s a Creator God who instills instincts and intelligence into all His creatures. The brilliant brains of these migratory birds demonstrated impressive abilities in navigation, memory, and communication. So I don’t know how it got started that calling someone a “birdbrain” would mean the person lacked intelligence or made stupid decisions. Where I come from we’re more apt to call a silly person one of these colloquialisms: nincompoop, idiot, halfwit, moron, ignoramus, dimwit, nitwit, dum-dum, numbskull, knucklehead, lamebrain, dingbat, goofus, airhead, dipstick, ding-dong, goofball, ding-a-ling, or harebrain. I can just hear my dad using every one of these names.

I did some research on migratory birds and discovered comparative spiritual lessons.  Here are nine interesting points: (1) When flying in a V formation, the birds save energy by drafting off each other while following the leader. [We need one another.] (2) In order to fly 1,000 miles, birds cannot fly alone. [Some jobs are too big to accomplish alone.] (3) Scientists have proven that all the birds contribute almost equally in the job of leading the flock. [Help your pastor share the load of the flock.] (4) Flying in a V formation reduces fatigue in the flock. [Flying by the seat of your pants is exhausting.]

(5) A large or strong bird will take the lead. [Church leaders must be strong in the Lord.] (6) If the leader becomes tired it will rotate back into formation and another bird will take the lead. [Do whatever you can to protect your pastor from burnout.] (7) When the flock changes direction, a new leader will take the helm. [Change is inevitable. Moses handed the Israelites over to Joshua so he could lead them into the Promised Land.] (8) A sick bird will drop out of formation and one other bird will follow it until it recovers or dies. [Keep tabs on one another and do what’s necessary.] (9) If a bird falls out of formation it will notice the extra resistance and immediately get back in line. [If you get discouraged, don’t stop attending church — it‘ll just make things worse.]

Let’s face the facts — people need people. We need one another. It’s a given that believers have God watching over us, Jesus interceding for us, and the Holy Spirit abiding in us.  But God designed us to need and thrive on close relationships with fellow believers. Sometimes life is too hard or too fun to do it alone.

I love the incident in the Old Testament when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites: “Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset” (Exodus 17:10-12 NLT). As a result, the Israelites overwhelmed the Amalekites and won the victory. Moses was a strong leader, but he was human and when his strength gave out he needed two faithful men to stand on either side of him to hold up his arms. We are no different from Moses.

The Key: Even birdbrains know they aren’t supposed to fly alone.