I just got back from an early morning bike ride and was struck by the fact that my ride was such a metaphor for my life. But before I go any further, I just want to clear up any misconceptions some of you may have about me. I am not an avid exerciser. I am not an avid cyclist. As a matter of fact, before I could ride this morning, I had to pump up the tires on my bike because they were completely flat from lack of use. However, I do enjoy bike riding and this morning, after a particularly difficult week, I felt the need to just ride away and feel the wind through my hair. Now, granted, at the speeds I go, there was not much wind velocity, but it was just slightly faster than my walking pace, so it served the intended purpose.
About halfway through my ride I came to a rather large hill. Thankfully, it was going down. As I approached it I thought to myself, “If I am now able to go down, somewhere on this ride I must have gone up.”
Apparently, the uphill climb was more gradual.
My bike has a number of different speeds. I cannot tell you how many because I honestly don’t know. As I rode and experienced differing levels of difficulty while pedaling, I changed speeds. Sometimes I selected a speed to make it more difficult, like when I was going downhill.
When I wanted to gain momentum for the course ahead, I did not stop pedaling.
That is when it hit me that my ride was like my life.
There are times in my life when I experience hills – both up and down – and I have to adjust my “gears” accordingly. For some, first gear might be going to church. If I try to coast through life in first gear, when I hit those uphill battles, and each and every one of us will, I may have a difficult time navigating that hill in first gear.
If I use all the gears God has equipped me with – His word, His church, His Holy Spirit, His children – then I will be able to navigate all the hills and valleys that I encounter.
I often didn’t realize that I was going uphill because the climb was so gradual. However, I did recognize the need to change gears. When I reached one of the downhill portions of my ride, I relaxed and enjoyed the experience. That is how life is meant to be lived.
We have to constantly adjust our “gears” accordingly.
The path may change unexpectedly, but God has equipped each of us with the right “gears” we need to navigate the path He has placed us on.
We cannot go through life stuck in first gear.
We need God’s word to be a part of our hearts so that we can renew our minds when the enemy tries to take us off the path God has for us or put obstacles in our way. We need the Holy Spirit to gently correct and guide us. We need the body of Christ to pray with us and for us. We need fellowship with other believers to hold us accountable and set a Godly example for us.
God has given us many “gears” and equipped us with everything we need to enjoy this ride called life. The hills and valleys are part of that ride.
What ride is God leading you on today?
Grab a copy of Equipped (Teen Edition) or Equipped (For Women) to help you discover how to get unstuck and start living the life God planned for you.
