“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” – Galatians 6:7

In 1962, maverick inventor Bill Lear wanted a challenge. The sixty-year-old Lear had already invented the 8-track tape, and the automatic direction finder and auto pilot for aircraft. So in 1962 he sold his interest in Lear, Inc. to form Learjet, which became the leading supplier of corporate jets within five years.

But soon after his company started producing jets, there were two Lear aircraft that crashed under mysterious circumstances. Lear was devastated. He’d developed the plane to offer business travelers a fast, economical alternative to the airlines. At that time, 55 Lear jets were privately owned. Bill sent word to all the owners to ground their planes until he and his team could determine what had caused the crashes.

To Bill, who was a Christian, risking the loss of more lives meant far more than the adverse publicity that grounding all Lear jets might generate in the media. He protected his customers and counted on God to protect the reputation of his corporation. As he researched the two ill-fated flights, a possible technical problem emerged. Bill experimented with his own plane to recreate the same problem. He nearly lost control of the jet in the process, but found that a defect in the plane’s design did exist.

All 55 planes were fitted with a new part, eliminating the danger. Bill spent two years rebuilding the business. Lear jets were soon soaring again, carrying thousands of business people safely to their destinations.

We are responsible for our actions and we will reap the fruit of our labor. Today in prayer, thank Christ that He blesses those who look to Him and work responsibly for the Lord’s glory.

“Freedom is only part of the story and half the truth..That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.” – Viktor Frankl

God’s Word: “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” – Proverbs 11:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2003, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN GALATIANS pkennedy@devotional.com