Training Wheels

As a family, we love being outdoors and are keen to spend some of our summer this year out on our bikes. However, there’s a stumbling block to this desire and that’s our son’s reluctance to learn to cycle without his stabilisers (training wheels) that help him balance on his bike.

Whilst these stabilisers were helpful when he started cycling, they’ve now become a hindrance, as he’s unable to go very fast and they make it difficult to steer around things and go over bumps. Whilst he can enjoy cycling around our local park, the majority of the surrounding area of woodland tracks and quiet roads are simply off-limits.

Kyle’s best friend is an accomplished cyclist and Kyle finds himself lagging far behind when they cycle together, often becoming frustrated at his inability to keep up. Whatever our encouragements, Kyle will still not try to cycle without his trusted stabilisers, mainly for fear that he will fall.

For those who feel hindered in their walk with God, frustrated at the sight of others doing so well in their Christian walk, there may be a lesson in this.

To move forward we need to take risks and even allow ourselves to fall a few times, that’s how we all learn. The Bible’s full of people who learned through taking risks, falling plenty of times! Staying safe is a place of stagnation and frustration.

This summer, we’re determined to encourage Kyle as much as possible to remove his stabilisers and enjoy the fullness of what life with a bike can be. For this to happen he’s going to have to make the decision himself, practise a lot, and teach himself how to balance. We can encourage him, explain how good it will be once he’s learned, and hold him for short periods of time to help him get going; but we can’t do it for him.

Just as the Scripture says, ‘by constant use have trained themselves’. It’s a personal choice, a choice to keep trying, learn from mistakes, fall a few times, and know that it’ll all be worth it. This is a process that never ends, and with each move forward we can enjoy more of the life that Jesus won for us on the cross. Maybe this is your time to take a risk and move away from the ‘safe’ place of being supported and train yourself in righteousness. It will definitely be worth it!

Prayer: Father God, I want to move forward from where I am in my relationship with You. Help me move from my safe place, even if it means that I fall a few times along the way. I know this is the path to full and abundant life. Amen.