Metaphorical Bike Ride..

yooper · 11-12-2003, 06:53 PM

Greetings all... I first want to thank everyone for participating in this board. It's been an incredible place to fellowship, even if you don't always make your presence known. :-)

I was reading this message board and was struck by the comparison someone wrote about riding a bike and faith. I envision in my mind that when a child is raised around Christianity they are introduced to God at an early age by their parents. I metaphorically think of the parents being the "training" wheels for the child. They teach the child and provide enough guidance so that one day, when the "training" wheels come off, they'll be able to make it on their own.

While some of us were raised around Christain families and benefited from the deep love and guidance of our natural parents, their are some of us ( including myself ) who never had that opportunity. So we pick up the Bike around adulthood and feel a bit "odd" riding that child's bike down the road...

I think the hardest part for me as an adult, is the fact that I want to ride that bike, but I'll be a Monkey's Uncle if those "training" wheels are going to stay on there. We all know at this age ( 31 ) there is no way someone is going to show me how to ride a bike.. So I pull the training wheels off and give the bike a whirl. So there I am gliding down the street with 30 people all around me. People are cheering and waving, along with pushing me from side to side so that I won't fall....

It doesn't change the fact that I feel stupid riding that little bike, my parents think it's a bit odd, and I'm surrounded by a bunch of strangers who are almost crying with excitement.

Without those years of training and coaching as a child, I find myself sitting on this ridiculous little bike asking God to end this humiliation. But deep down, way deep... I know I must ride this bike and take the humiliation. I must give up "myself" and let him be my training wheels.

I'd like to hear from others who can relate to this story. I'm sure I'm not the only hard headed, stubborn, do things my way kind of guy out there. Would love to hear your stories and experiences during your walk with Christ.. :-)

letsfish · 11-12-2003, 07:41 PM

Interesting analogy, we are a rebelous lot- throwing off perfectly good training wheels "to do it our way". But doesn't that ride feel good when you let those training wheels do there thing. Cool traing wheels too, how they know where to go and will do the steering if we let them.

happybrew · 11-12-2003, 09:32 PM

I think your take on the bicycle analogy is interesting. Let's take it a bit further.

Matthew 18:3

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

A child riding a bike doesn't care what the neighbors think. The child learning to ride a bike cares what his or her father thinks, and that father is standing there with outstretched arms waiting to hug that child at the end of the ride. But if the child is distracted, and turns the head to look at the neighbors, the bike is going to crash, and it's going to hurt. The child may well crash that bike anyway, but it's much more likely if the child takes his or her eyes off of the father. It's to be expected, and there's nothing to do but to get back on the bike and continue to ride toward the father.

1 John 2:1-2

My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2* and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3

So the Father's son is waiting to pick up the child of God if that bike does fall. The neighbors may be standing on the side of the road cheering, but it's the father's son who's going to pick that child of God up when he or she falls. And the father is still waiting with outstretched arms to give a big hug at the end of the ride.

Yooper, I'm sorry you didn't have the benefit of a Christian upbringing, but not to fear. Many who have had that benefit have disregarded it. I did for quite awhile. I'm fortunate that I had it to fall back on when I did return, but in a lot of ways it was as if I were just starting out again.

As Paul writes in Romans 3:9-12

9* What then? Are we Jews any better off? * No, not at all; for I * have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin,
10* as it is written:
"None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands, no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one."
While Paul is talking about Jews who had the Law, and Gentiles who didn't, I think it applies just as well to those who were raised Christian and those who were not. Remember, the Apostles and the early Christians were either Jews or Gentiles, so he was really talking to the whole Church, those who received the word of God as children, and those who did not, just as we have today. In your ignorance of Christianity, you had a mitigating factor. I did not. I can blame ineffective catechesis, and it was when I was a teenager, with many things I should have been taught ignored, and even false things put forward as truth, but in my heart I really did know what was truth, and I chose knowing what my conscience said, to do what was worldly, and ignoring what was of God. You won't have the same regrets and remorse that I do. Instead, you can have the joy of finally knowing the truth, if you'll accept it. You have a mitigating factor that I and many others do not. It's been my experience that the strongest Christians are the converts, not those who are born into the faith. So don't look at the neighbors. Look to the Father, and listen to the Holy Spirit, and walk with the Son.

You stated that you're hard headed and stubborn. Guess what: we all are. It's the rare person who isn't. The only solution to that is prayer. As someone once said about voting, do it early, and do it often. :grin:

When you have the urge to pray when you first wake up, listen to it. When you have a moment during the day, pray, even if it's only briefly. When you're in your car, pray. When you're doing the dishes, pray. And try to set aside a period every week just to be silent and listen to what God has to say to you. If you have a problem with sin, just bug the heck out of God to remove it! Didn't your parents sometimes give in because you were persistent? Be persistent! It works!

God Bless!

happybrew

letsfish · 11-13-2003, 07:50 AM

As usual, great comentary HB. Thanks!

Chukrchaser · 11-13-2003, 06:36 PM

Your analogy of the bike reminds me of a childrens book I was reading to my son many years ago. As I finished reading him the little book and he was asleep I slipped off to another room and prayed -- wept and asked for the Lord's strength and forgiveness.

The book was really simple -- it said things like " I can brush my teeth. I can do it myself." "I can tie my shoes. I can do it myself" The book took my son through all of the every day challenges he had as a 3 or 4 year old and proclaimed "I can do it myself".

The Lord spoke to me so strongly through this little story. For all of my struggles as a new Christian, though I seemed to pray and pray -- when a time came for strength -- I too said "I can do it myself". Until then I did not understand the meaning of or how to live a yielded life.

Proverbs 3:5 says;" Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding."

So with trials or bicycles, we must trust in the Lord.

The Old Hymn -- Trust and obey, Trust and Obey for there's no other way -- Still true today

Chuck

yooper · 11-13-2003, 08:30 PM

Thank you for the continued posts to this topic as this board is the closest to fellowship I've been in years.

I wanted to ask if this seems like an odd question to all of you. But I almost feel like this is a fight between myself and God. I want to wrestle him and push each other back and forth a bit. I know I'll never win the fight, but it's almost like I want to show my manhood before giving credence. I know I'm not better than God, but it's almost like I'm looking for that comradery to occur first. This is the same way I make my friends today, I pitch you "garbage", you pitch it back. You shove, I push. After a while, when everythings been sized up, the friendship truly begins. This is really hard for me to approach God any differently. I completely respect him, but what on Earth am I thinking?

Lay it on me, give me your thoughts....

FM2 · 11-14-2003, 10:20 AM

Yooper, I was reading last night and came across this article by Charles Stanley that may help you pin down what you are seeking.

A REAL ENEMY

We hear about conflicts taking place all over the world, but they often seem very distant. The truth is that every Christian faces a war each day, we battle the Devil. But many people do not recognize the work of Satan; they mistake his assaults for the struggles of everyday life.

An enemy always wants to be camouflaged and covered so he can move about undetected. Satan loves for people to doubt his existence, but do not be deceived-he is very real. Jesus clearly recognized the reality of the Devil, who tempted Him in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1) And we know Paul believed the Genesis account of Satan's trickery because in verse 3 of 2 Corinthians 11, he refers to the serpent that deceived Eve.

Satan is a liar. He tries to convince us there is no such thing as a Devil. He wants us to believe that all religions are the same and everybody gets to heaven one way or another. That is how he operates: it all sounds good, but is untrue.

Our Enemy is very deliberate in the way he approaches us. He appeals to our mind first. Temptation does not start in our eyes, hands, feet, or lips; it begins with our thoughts. Our bodies simply turn in the direction that our mind is facing.

We may be able to regulate some of our thoughts, but on our own, we cannot resist a formidable foe like Satan. Left to our natural devices, we will sin by saying, "That no longer applies-everybody does it. The Bible is antiquated." Such thinking stems from allowing the Devil access to our mind, which is his choice battleground. Second Corintians 10:5 says, "We are destroying every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." We must deliberately and actively guard our thinking against his deceitfulness and instead bring our thoughts under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The battle for our salvation was won at the Cross-the Devil knows he is a defeated foe, destined for eternity in hell. Since he cannot take a single child of God with him, he tries to destroy our witness instead. However, when we recognize Satan's deception and depend upon the strength of Jesus Christ to resist him, we can be confident of victory.

[In Touch magazine, October 2003]

Grantspastor · 11-14-2003, 10:34 AM

Yooper...thanks for your transparent post. I waited a little before responding because I wanted to pray a bit first. I think the Lord wants to talk to you today.

No need to respond to any of this in a public forum if you don't want to. Feel free to e-mail me if anyof this communicates and you would like clarification.

Two things about your post stood out to me.
1. Angler's Chapel is the closest thing to fellowship you've had in years
2. The idea of friendship with god, and having it develop similarly to a human relationship after a period of "wrestling" back and forth...sizing one another up a bit...

It's a common tendency to liken relationship with God to human relationships...particularly those wherein you were vulnerable. The obvious comparison is God the Father to our natural fathers. You've already said you didn't grow up in a christian home. The majority of folks today don't. This comparison becomes very difficult for those who grew up in abusive, or harsh and demanding homes. I'm going out on a limb here, but it seems to me that you may have been hurt or betrayed in a serious way by someone who should never have done it...and now you guard yourself until the other party (including God) proves themselves a little. This is understandable with human relationships, but breaks down when it comes to God. Lots of people go through this (painfully) but God is able to work through it with you, if it applies.

"Wrestling" with God has been tried before, both literally (Jacob) and figuratively (Jonah). In all cases it really boils down to the simple issue of obedience.

Obedience is the crux of friendship with God. God loves everybody, but He is not friends with everyone. God's love is unconditional, but friendship is not. Jesus said "you are my friends if you obey Me". I believe God is always reaching out and seeking an intimate relationship. We have very little to offer God in this process, except to offer ourselvs. That is what God is looking for.

I spend so much of my Pastoring time out on a limb, that I've grown comfortable there. Sometimes I'm wrong, but sometimes God is speaking. I wonder...are you avoiding God's call in your life? Is that what you're calling "wrestling"? This could either be a call to a ministry, or a simple call to faithfulness and committment. If so...I've been there...done that. Just say "yes" to God and it will all work out.

Last...you need more fellowship than you're getting on this board. Angler's Chapel is GREAT (and I mean GREAT!)...but it does not replace functional life in a church body. Pray, and the Lord will help you find a church. Get locked in. Look for joyful worship, and balanced Biblical teaching/preaching. I hope some of this is helpful!

Dave

Grantspastor · 11-14-2003, 12:08 PM

Godd counsel Jetty Nut. The great majority of my "pastoral training" came just as you described it

FM2 · 11-14-2003, 12:59 PM

Yooper, there is very valuable information here in these posts but I would like to say I posted what I did because most Christians want to focus on the good of Jesus and ignore the fact there is an adversary nearly as powerful. I too feel cozy and comfortable when teaching about Jesus Christ and going to studies that talk about the miracles and life of Jesus. I usually leave these with a deep sense of comfort until the next challenge hits me and I wonder "why". I have spent much time learning about Satan so I can recognize when I'm being attacked and many times these attacks come in very subtle ways but nevertheless by awarness I am able to fall on the Grace of God and am able to defeat the enemy.

I appreciate when our Pastor shares with our church just how powerful Satan is as I know he is trying to warn us of potential hardships and challenges that will come before us. Even though the warnings can be there I too am vulnerable to trip and fall and do, but I know there is protection from Jesus Christ. As stated in the article I posted, Paul talks about wearing the "full" armour of God and not just a part (Ephesians 6). This helps to fend off Satan's attacks and can build a deeper relationship with Christ knowing He will come to our aid.

I understand where you are and was there too! But arming yourself with the Grace of God can set you free to find the meaning and depth of why you are here while at the same time allow you to become aware that as you get closer to God the attacks will come at much higher levels.

Blessings,
Keith

happybrew · 11-14-2003, 01:18 PM

Guys, the only thing I have to say is

"Wow!"

happybrew

Green Willie · 11-14-2003, 11:52 PM

Yooper,
I, like you, was not raised in a Christian home and therefore did not have the role model/"training" that many have had. When I entered adult hood I merrily "peddled" my way along. I noticed that I crashed a lot, and didn't have any sense of where I was headed. Needless to say, God called me (He had been calling me constantly, but I never picked up) and I surrenderer myself to Him. Now, I very shamefully admit, that my walk has not been of the storybook variety. I have the scarred knees and elbows from all of my tumbles. I'm not proud of them, but am so thankful for the loving mercy and compassion of our God. I have learned a couple of things during my walk.

First, we must fellowship with other believers, read and study His word, and devote much time to prayer. If we don't, we don't grow in Him as we should. We never graduate from the "milk" for newborns to "solid food". Growth in Him is a process, not an event, and we must rely on His timing (take a cake out of the oven before it's finished baking and you have a useless blob of goo).

Second, I need the training wheels! I am so thankful that our God keeps us in His care and shelters us under His wings. I take great comfort in experiencing and knowing this. It's all about the "surrender" part for me. If I keep any of myself separate from Him, I trip. It is only when I totally rely on Him that I realize the depth and magnitude of joy that we have in Him. I take comfort in the training wheels, without them a get hurt.

I am not some spiritual giant, nor am I a trained pastor (not implying anything negative here GP). So, my comments here are from my heart and experience. Therefore they are fallible I would, if I were you, find a pastor and/or solid Christian man to assist/disciple you in your daily walk.

Please don't interpret my comments as if I am speaking down to you, as I don't intend to. I too, am a humble pilgrim, and believe that we are here to support one another.

Blessing to you brother,
Mike Evans

yooper · 11-17-2003, 01:25 PM

Okay... So let me bring this full circle. This weekend I have accepted Jesus Christ back into my life again.

I had a hard time accepting God back into my life becuase I fealt that I had to go about it the "manly" way. By making it tough for him to get me, by wrestling. Through your posts and encouragements I have realized what a true man of God is really about. You have all fought for God by bringing him closer to me.... What's more manly than that!!!!

By the way, once I get my feet more grounded in the Lord ( I have found someone who is going to take me under his wing and disciple me ), I do hope I can return the favor someday...

Grantspastor · 11-17-2003, 01:50 PM

Most excellent Yooper! Hallelujah!

FM2 · 11-17-2003, 02:00 PM

Praise the Lord! The angels are rejoicing [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Green Willie · 11-18-2003, 07:06 AM

Yooper, Praise God and welcome home. Also, glad that you have found someone to meet with (iron sharpen iron). I also trust that you have found a good, Bible teaching church to attend. Make the committment to attend regularly. Again, Praise the Lord!

Mike

yooper · 11-18-2003, 02:44 PM

Thanks JettyNut, it was exactly the quote "Iron Sharpens Iron" that inspired me to accept the gracious gift of being discipled by someone. :-)

I am still looking for a church in the Vancouver, Washington area. I've been to Crossroads and really liked Bill Ritchie, but I want to check around and see if there are other churches as well.

Anyone out there with good suggestions for churches in Vancouver?

Thanks All,
Ed

Green Willie · 11-19-2003, 08:51 AM

Ed, you live in Vancouver-so do I. I am the worship leader at First Baptist Church in Vancouver (located across the street from the Dairy Queen on Main street). Bill Ritchie is the pastor that married my wife and I, and I used to play music at Crossroads years ago. Email me your phone number and I'll give you a call. Looking for a church home can be challenging, but once you find a home, no place beats it. I'll be glad to talk with you about what I know about the churches of Vancouver.

Mike Evans