Don't Look Back
I’ve read a similar story in a devotional Bible, but the lesson became real when it happened to me on Friday.
A friend and I decided to go mountain biking after work. The weather had started out dreary, but the sun was starting to peak out from behind the clouds and we were on bicycles in the middle of the woods. I was riding strong and felt good until…
We were riding on a smoother part of the trail than what we had been on just moments before when my friend said something. I turned to look over my left shoulder to see what he had said and to make sure he hadn’t crashed, when (I’m sure you see this coming) I found myself going over the handle bars as I had strayed off of the trail. Mountain bikers call this an “endo” and I was in full endo. I’ve endoed before and it is never a good feeling. By the time I had hit the ground, I was on my back.
Whew! No major damage…until…
the back of the bike hit me in the face resulting in an inch long gash in my forehead right between the eyes (so to speak) that needed three stitches. After a few moments, we decided to go on and ride a little longer. (At that point the damage was done and I wasn’t bleeding too badly.)
Moving on, I was reminded of how Philippians 3:13 has impacted my spiritual walk and the fact I now had a graphic example. My mistake was looking back. I took my eyes off of what was ahead to look at where I had come from and I strayed of the path. Paul was telling the Philippians that our past which is forgiven by Jesus is behind us and we must focus on what is before us. We must push toward our goal ignoring the desires to “look back” where we may return to the sinful desires of our past or remember the guilt of those actions. If Satan can get us looking back, he knows we have a greater chance of straying off the trail or at least keep us from moving forward.
I will have a scar from this as a reminder to not look back and focus on what is ahead no matter what it concerns-- be it mountain biking, ministry or whatever else. Best summed up: Looking back will cause you to crash.
I’m sure there’s a puppet skit in here somewhere…
God Bless
A friend and I decided to go mountain biking after work. The weather had started out dreary, but the sun was starting to peak out from behind the clouds and we were on bicycles in the middle of the woods. I was riding strong and felt good until…
We were riding on a smoother part of the trail than what we had been on just moments before when my friend said something. I turned to look over my left shoulder to see what he had said and to make sure he hadn’t crashed, when (I’m sure you see this coming) I found myself going over the handle bars as I had strayed off of the trail. Mountain bikers call this an “endo” and I was in full endo. I’ve endoed before and it is never a good feeling. By the time I had hit the ground, I was on my back.
Whew! No major damage…until…
the back of the bike hit me in the face resulting in an inch long gash in my forehead right between the eyes (so to speak) that needed three stitches. After a few moments, we decided to go on and ride a little longer. (At that point the damage was done and I wasn’t bleeding too badly.)
Moving on, I was reminded of how Philippians 3:13 has impacted my spiritual walk and the fact I now had a graphic example. My mistake was looking back. I took my eyes off of what was ahead to look at where I had come from and I strayed of the path. Paul was telling the Philippians that our past which is forgiven by Jesus is behind us and we must focus on what is before us. We must push toward our goal ignoring the desires to “look back” where we may return to the sinful desires of our past or remember the guilt of those actions. If Satan can get us looking back, he knows we have a greater chance of straying off the trail or at least keep us from moving forward.
I will have a scar from this as a reminder to not look back and focus on what is ahead no matter what it concerns-- be it mountain biking, ministry or whatever else. Best summed up: Looking back will cause you to crash.
I’m sure there’s a puppet skit in here somewhere…
God Bless
posted by puppetminister at 9:33 AM
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