GET IN GEAR

Most if not all us have seen a person (usually an older person) driving a sports car with tons of horsepower just coasting through traffic at a speed significantly lower than the speed limit. The thought inevitably crosses your mind “Why the heck do they have a sports car if they are only going to drive 30 mph on I-95 South?” You would also think it was strange if you were walking in the mall and saw a grown man (fully capable of walking) crawling around on the floor like a baby.

These thoughts crossed my mind as I watched a young man struggle as he attempted to ride his seemingly brand new and expensive looking mountain bike up a hill. The dude was sweating bullets…huffing and puffing with each pedal. The next thing I saw was an older woman (about mid to late fifties), effortlessly fly by the young man on her old, tested and tried “old school” 10 speed bike. She was calm and relaxed and just seemed to enjoy the journey. As she passed the young fella, he looked at her in pure amazement. Being showed up by her caused him to pedal even harder, but to no avail…soon he was back to inching along. I’m sure he thought, “How in the world is this old lady putting me in the dust?” It wasn’t for lack of effort or for a lack of physical ability. It was because the older lady was wise enough to know how to use her tools (her bike) effectively. She was able to cruise up the hill because she had mastered the art of switching gears and she knew that if she was in the right gear, she could handle the obstacle before her with ease.

How many of us are just pedaling away through life? We are giving it all we have but because we are in the wrong gear, our efforts are dampened and our productivity is minimized. God has equipped us with top of the line equipment, custom made for us in heaven, but until we use it right, our lives will continue to be frustrating and we will produce little or no fruit. Life is full of hills, valleys and straight-aways. We must identify where we are (be it a hill, a valley or a straightaway) and adapt our gears to the road type to maximize our efforts.

*Hills are categorized by periods of life where you are pushing your limits, you are challenged to do the “impossible” or you are faced with a choice to press forward or to quit. Hills are turning point...”Will I press forward into the unknown or will I quit?”
*Valleys are categorized by periods where you experience loss, times of complete struggle, times where hope seems to fade and times when you feel burdened. When navigating a valley experience, it is key to pump the brakes and not go too fast, because you will surely crash and lose control if you try to “fly through” a valley experience. Take your time and learn what you need to learn in the valley, but know that a mountaintop experience awaits if you press.
*Straight-aways are periods where things are consistent (not up or down). These are times of reflection and recovery. You are in a sense coasting through life. These times don’t tend to last very long, if they do, then you are probably not going in the right direction or you aren’t pushing as hard as you can toward your goals and God’s plan for your life.

Wherever you find yourself in life, be it a Hill a Valley or a Straight-away, it is time to get in gear so that you may be able to progress though your life in an effective and efficient way. You have the finest equipment ever created, it is time to get in gear so that you can experience your race (your life) as God intended.

GET IN GEAR!!!

Be Blessed,
B