Landed, Not Arrived

Every environment has a vocabulary that governs how people in that environment communicate with each other and conduct business. From corporations to churches, one element of success is how quickly one can learn and how fluently one can express the words, idioms, phrases and jargon that operate in that sphere.

The distinction between an airplane that has “landed” but not “arrived” is familiar to anyone who works in the airline industry. But that distinction was unfamiliar to me. I learned it several years ago when my mother came to visit me in Los Angeles. As I waited for her in baggage claim, she finally called and said “we’ve arrived.” But when I looked at the flight information display monitor, it read “Landed.” It was a distinction that I had never recognized. I always assumed that “landed” and “arrived” meant the same thing. But clearly, that assumption was incorrect.

My curiosity compelled me to ask one of the baggage claim personnel to explain the difference.  My discovery was quite instructive. I was informed that “landed” means that the aircraft is on the ground. “Arrived” means that the aircraft has been “de-planed (meaning all the passengers and crew have exited). That means that when an airplane hits the ground, its journey is not complete. “Landing” is the first of a series of steps that include “taxiing” that culminates in the “arrival” of the aircraft.

The distinction between an airplane that was “landed” and one that has “arrived” provided me with an extremely useful analogy in understanding the path to success. Just because you have landed in a preferred destination does not mean you have arrived. Some people act like they have “arrived” when they have only “landed.”  Once you land in the Promised Land, the real work begins. In fact, the promised land is a battlefield in disguise!

This is the warning that King Ahab issued to his overconfident adversary in 1 Kings 20:11. King Ahab is not known for his valor nor his vision. In fact, the scripture states that he was one of the worst kings in the entire history of Israel. But just as there is some bad in the best of us, there is some good in the worst of us—and Ahab is no exception. In a life full of compromise and cowardice, this single act of defiance shines as a bright light. Although he was vastly outmatched (his adversary King Benhadad of Syria had a coalition of 32 Kings), King Ahab responded to the threat. I am not sure that his response was based on faith or on false bravado-but he responded nonetheless. As Benhadad continued to fling insults, accusations and boasts in his direction, Ahab sent a message with a clapback of the highest order. 1 Kings 20:11 informs us that:

The king of Israel sent back this answer: “A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.”

Those words are a welcome antidote to the false confidence, premature boasting, and unearned pride that is currently running rampant through so many corridors of our society. Too many people who have never been in a battle (let alone been victorious in one) brag as if they have. There are far too many paper tigers, internet revolutionaries, and social media magnates who behave as if victory in battle is easy to come by. All bragging should be postponed until the battle has been won—after the warrior has unbuckled his armor and laid down his sword.

I was once heard a wise preacher whom I greatly admire talking about a younger preacher who had just written a book about marriage. The only problem with the book, the wise preacher said, was that the preacher writing it had only been married for one year. As a veteran of the guild in question, I can assure you that one year isn’t enough time to write a book on marriage. At least not a helpful one. After a year, you’ve only landed. You haven’t arrived.

The upshot of all of this is simple: be humble. Respect success—on any level. And respect the pain and the process that success requires. Anytime you see a successful warrior stepping off the battlefield, observe their steps with grace and appreciation. Every step is a symphony of sacrifice.