I wonder how many Christians are out in the world who say they believe in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, but in their hearts believe they are not worthy of God’s love. It seems that no matter what happens, they feel God is not there for them.
For someone who recently completed the Alpha program, this became much more apparent to me. I always believed in God, the power of prayer, and the strength of the Holy Spirit, but did not really think my prayers or beliefs would be of much help or difference to myself or others that I prayed for. I finally had to truly examine my life in the past and present to realize how much God is with me now and has been at all times.
Our faith could be compared to learning how to ride a bike. God first gives us all the protective gear we need in prayer. He then gives us plenty of encouragement with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we fall, the saving power of Christ will help us to get back up. It is up to us to keep trying. We want God to constantly hold the bike so we do not fail and fall. Expecting God’s constant assistance, we might not learn on our own. The beauty of the whole process is that we begin to “ride the bike” without Him holding it. In other words, doing all the work for us. God wants us to be able to ride the bike on our own with Him riding right alongside of us.
We need to practice to get better. When we pray, we learn what God wants for us, how to grow towards Him, and become more like Him. When we add fasting to our routine, we may learn to break self-destructive habits. We also need that quiet time to discern what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us, leading us in the direction we need to go. Last but not least, when we fail, we need to reach out to God through reconciliation for the saving grace paid for by Christ.
God will always be there through the ups and downs of our life whether we feel His hand on the bike or not. We just have to realize and remember to believe He will hold the bike until we are ready. So get all your protective gear in prayer, gather your courage using the Holy Spirit to move forward, and don’t worry if you fall. Christ will be there to pick you up.
We can all ride that bike for LIFE!