Get on the Bike

This summer I watched my six-year-old son ride around on his bike with one training wheel. Yes, you read that right, one training wheel. For weeks he insisted that he HAD to have that training wheel on. Tried as we might to convince him of the fact he clearly was balancing well and wasn’t even using that training wheel, he would not be swayed. He was so afraid of failing and of falling. Until one day at the tail end of summer, he made up his mind, “Tomorrow we can take the wheel off”. And we did. He faced his fears and guess what? He road beautifully. Up and down the road he went like a pro. He never even wavered a little bit. His greatest fear of falling never came to fruition. He was soaring and so proud of himself to boot.

As I sit here reminiscing with my own pride at his act of courage and yet my equal annoyance that he had refused to believe me all along that he would indeed be ok, my heart is nudged with the knowledge that I am not so different. When it comes to my fears, I don’t even trust the training wheels to hold me. No, I lack even that tiny bit of faith. I simply refuse to even get on the proverbial bike. Too afraid of failure and falling and people laughing at me. Too scared that I might make a fool of myself. I decide it’s safer to just blend in with the crowd and never take the step of faith God is asking of me. Never mind the beauty that I might find once I climb on and take off. There is just too much at risk, and I can’t bring myself to do it.

Sure, I play with the bike every day. I walk it up and down the road. I wash it and watch it sparkle. I wear the helmet and knee pads with pride. But actually get on the bike? You must be joking. I could never have the nerve! And yet as I think about the nerve it took my son to face his fears and trust the bike to hold him, and trust he did indeed have all the skills acquired from all his practice, I wonder if I might be able to in act that same kind of faith when it comes to my fears?

2 Timothy 1:7 says: For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.

So, according to this verse, I already have all the tools under my built to face what fear is holding me back from doing. The real step of faith is believing the one who gifted me the tools has already equipped me to use them, and use them well. Believing that when I step onto the raging waters, they will sustain me. Trusting that when I dip my toe into the Red Sea it will part. Holding on to the knowledge that if God is for me, nothing can stand against me. Not lion, bear or giant.

The only question that remains is, do I actually believe what God says about me? Even greater, do I believe what He declares about Himself?

We each have our own fear that sends us running. Maybe it’s that tug on your heart to do something crazy, and the terror of failure holds you back. Or maybe it’s the fear of sickness, loss or rejection. Whatever it is, the choice we have is the same. We can choose to walk the bike around in fear of getting on for the rest of our lives. Or, we can get on, despite our trembling legs and racing heart, and soar. Yes, we still might fall. But that doesn’t mean we have failed. It means we are learning. We are learning to let our Father catch us, dust us off, smile at us and ask us to try again. And again, and again. Knowing not a moment with Him is ever wasted, even the ones that end us up in the dirt. Because, if you know anything about bike riding or faith, you know that practice stretches and strengthens our muscles until we can ride with ease and a little less fear.

So, are you ready for an adventure? Let’s go face our fears with Jesus. Let’s get on the bike.