What I am Learning From Mountain Biking IV
4) Pace Yourself- One thing you learn when you start riding quickly is that you are not as fit as some of the guys that do it all the time. Many of these guys have hit the trail for a while and can go faster, and handle things that you starting out can’t do. If you as a newbie start out hauling butt down some trails, you will be asking for oxygen within 5 mins, if not sooner. There is a level of fitness and experience you have to get to, in order to be successful in completing the trail strong or at least without breaking your neck! Even after a few months, there are still things I am learning and my body is getting where it needs to be to handle some of the harder areas of the trail.
There are many people who receive God’s gift of salvation or have received it and they are excited and want to change the world now! Unfortunately, situations in life test us and our zeal can grow cold and cynicism can replace the joy and excitement we felt when got saved or had an incredible encounter with God. Many don’t realize there is a process to get from point “A” to point “B”. Sometimes the process takes a lot of change on our part, and change doesn’t take place instantaneously in most cases. Life and the world have a way of taking the wind out of your sails. Bills, disagreements with your spouse, kids that are not living up to the potential you see in them, and the cares of life will attempt to sap the life out of you.
We are all susceptable to letting these things steal our joy and energy but there are a few things that I have learned, not necessarily mastered yet, that I’m still working on, that help me keep perspective:
a) I have to accept that I am not where I want to be. This is that frustration we feel when we want to be further in our walk with God, ministry, family, ect. We can channel that frustration toward God and get angry or we can use it to attack those areas in our life that are hindering us. Our choice.
b) I need other’s help. While on the trail you can get frustrated in some areas. You try to get some momentum and you hit a root or some other object on the trail that just slows you right down, which means you have to work that much harder to get your momentum going again, and ultimately begins to sap your strength. This is why it’s important to listen to people that have been where you are going. They can tell you about things that you might have found out the harder way. They can offer encouragement cause they were where you are now. We were never meant to ride this trail alone. We need others.
c) There will be season in my walk with God. Keeping this in mind helps me pace myself better. I know there will be seasons in life that will blow my mind with the amazing things that God will do. I also know that there will be times that I will not feel a warm fuzzy or it will “feel” like God is nowhere to be seen. Feelings are very deceiving. Feelings don’t determine fact. Just cause I don’t “feel” God, doesn’t mean He is not there. It’s during those times that I must peddle that much harder. My lungs develop more during the uphill climbs than speeding downhill. We can grow or shrink in our spiritual growth by how we respond in these times. Will we despair or worship? Will we complain or praise?
Be patient. Be humble. Be teachable, and you will be everything that God has promised.
Kevin
