As a kid, I loved to ride my bike. My friends and I would ride around the neighborhood and schoolyard. Often we would race each other to see who had the fastest bike.
In one such race, my friend and I raced down a long sidewalk. At the end of that sidewalk was a footbridge over a deep ditch. We raced neck and neck down the sidewalk. I could hear my friend yelling, "Peddle faster, Peddle faster!" It was at the end of the sidewalk that I ran out of steam, experience, wisdom, and common sense. There was no way either one of us could go over the footbridge at the same time. We were going to fast to stop, and there were no exits. He peeled left on to an empty field, and I peeled right, into the ditch. I went from 624 miles an hour to 0 in .0001 seconds.
My bike was fine. I, however, took it in the chest, shoulder, and chin. To this day, I still don't know how I survived. I was pretty sure I out ran my guardian angel.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;...
Our rushed and hectic lives can often affect our growth and maturity in Christ. We "peddle faster" thinking that we are becoming a better follower of Jesus. When, in fact, we are outrunning our spiritual wisdom, experience, and common sense. Then when we end up in our spiritual ditches, painfully, we wonder - why?
Growth takes time. You have to be patient with yourself, and you must be patient with Christ, your teacher. But here are a few things that you need to be doing to grow every day.
Read the Bible. Get a version you understand and start reading.
Go to church: Sunday morning and a small group. You can learn from a large corporate setting, but you will learn something else in a small group.
Pray every day. Ask God to help you grow.
Find a spiritual mentor. Ask someone who has "been there and done that" to help keep you on track. Build a relationship with them first, then allow them to pour into your life.
PRAY: Dear Jesus, help me to grow every day. AMEN
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