Keep Climbing

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. 

– Isaiah 41:10

They say “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but this old dog is learning how to mountain bike this summer.  Boy, this sport has a lot of new tricks to learn and questions to answer.

How do I clip my bike shoes into the pedals?  More importantly, how do I clip them out before I crash? Which lever makes the hills easier?  How hard should I squeeze the brakes on the downhills?  Seriously, will these bike shorts always feel like I’m wearing a diaper? And most importantly, when will I get good enough to relax and just have fun?

You’d think that living in a bike-crazy town like Boulder, I’d be an excellent biker.  With 300 days of sunshine and bike lanes everywhere, the outdoor cycling options are limitless.  My concern is not so much biking around town, it’s getting home.  From town, the windy road to my driveway gains over 2,000 feet of elevation.  Bikers from all over the world venture to Boulder to ride “Flagstaff Road.” I’ve been driving it for twelve years, but now I’m training to bike it… soon.

What goals have you set for yourself lately?  Are you trying to learn a new language, a new craft, a new habit, a new skill?  If you haven’t set any new goals lately, take a moment and brainstorm a few right now.

Pastor Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church, is constantly challenging his church to set goals.  They lost thousands of pounds while following the Daniel Plan Diet.  They’ve sent hundreds of teams around the globe with the Peace Plan.  And they’ve raised millions of dollars to grow one of the most influential churches in our country.  How?  By setting goals and having the faith to believe with God their goals were possible.

God encourages us in His word to step out in faith and grow.  Paul thanks God for the people living in Thessalonica because their faith and love had flourished.  He writes, “I thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” (1Thes. 1:3)

God also encourages us to face our fears when attempting to grow, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)  

I’m counting on God’s steady hand to hold me up every time I hop on my mountain bike and head out to tackle a new trial or steep hill.  We all need God’s encouragement to set new goals and keep growing in body, mind, spirit and soul.  Next year, when we look back on this summer, we should be able to see faith growth and share the goals we’ve achieved.  My goal, aside from being a stronger mountain biker, is to be a stronger believer in Jesus Christ.  How about you?

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement