BICYCLE CHRISTIANITY

Some years ago I saw in a discipleship magazine an illustration about the Christian life based on a bicycle. I do not remember all the particulars but I do remember that the spokes represented various disciplines for healthy growth as a Christian; prayer, Bible study, etc. The front wheel represented guidance and the rear wheel represented power and endurance.

By The Way, I have recently become the proud owner of a mountain bike (My son-in-law found it left behind by a soldier family moving from Ft. Campbell, KY.) He also found a bike for he and for my daughter. Well anyway I have made a few interesting discoveries that might shed a little more light on this bicycle/Christian life thing.

Now I learned to ride the bike when I was just a youngster, and I was young also when I accepted the Lord as my Savior. I did not become an instant expert at riding the bike or at being a Christian. It was and is a process. I still can ride a bike, but since I have not practiced for a long time, I am a little shaky and uncertain. I am not as agile or as smooth as I used to be. When one does not practice his faith he becomes the same way… shaky and unsure of himself. He is certainly not a very good role model to those new believers that might be watching him. I really don’t want too many folks watching me ride the bike right now either.

Now one of the main things about riding a bike is to stay upright. I found that it is much easier if you are moving forward. Sitting still is a sure recipe for falling over, unless your feet are on the ground. Going backward is totally out of the question. If you are to grow as a disciple you need to stay upright, and to stay upright you have to move forward.

Obviously someone had left the bike out in the weather and it had set idle for a while. This caused rust to accumulate on the gear cables and the sprockets. Now I am not saying we should burn out as a Christian, but neither is there a reason to rust out. Two things contribute to a rusty Christian life:

(1) Inactivity in the area of prayer (1 Thess 5:17 Pray constantly. HCSB),

and obedience (James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only… HCSB)
(2) Not receiving the lubrication of the Word (Psalm 119:11 I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You…HCSB)

and the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18 …be filled with the Spirit: HCSB)

I guess I will need to take the bike in for a needed service job, but the best thing I can do for myself and the bike is to ride it…to put it to the use for which it was intended.

How about your Christian life? Is it time you thought about a SERVICE job? Actively move ahead through prayer and obedience. Let God’s Word and the Holy Spirit free you up to move smoothly for the Father. And again, By The Way, “Happy Bicycling!”