On my triathlon bike, I have a computer that measures my cadence, speed and various things. It also measures how long I pedal on my bike. So whenever I go for a long training ride, the time on my watch will measure the total time of my ride. The bike computer will measure the actual time I pedal. There’s always be a difference.
If you are riding for fun, this is not that important. However, if you are actually training for a specific race, you need to be as precise as possible to find out exactly how long you have been training. Whenever we are on the bike, it is very easy to coast. That is, once we ride fast enough, we let the momentum to keep us going. We can give our legs a little break or rest.
The goal for training is to spend as much time working the body as possible. In other words, it is important to keep the time difference between total ride time and the actual pedal time to be as small as possible.
The truth is the idea of coasting is very attractive especially when you’ve been out on the road for hours. Your legs are burning and they are aching. You are thirsty and you just want to stop. My training buddy always tell me whenever I am dying to keep pedaling. Don’t stop. This is a lesson I learnt early on during my triathlon days.
Whenever my legs are busted from climbing a hill, I will talk myself to keep pedaling and keep my legs moving.
In other words,
Don’t coast.
At the end of the ride, the time on the bike computer doens’t lie. It tells you honestly whether you are training hard or just coasting.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about this to a Christian life. I asked myself often, am I coasting as a Christian? Being in the Christian circle long enough, you will hear people who say they’ve been Christian for so and so years. But the time being a Christian doesn’t mean anything. Just as owning a triathlon bike for many years doesn’t mean I am a fit.
It is easy to get a quick high from attending a Christian conference, listen to a great speaker or even go on a mission trip, then just coast the rest of our Christian walk. Well, I’ve been to this country before and shared Christ and now I can live my own life after doing my Christian duty.
This shouldn’t be. I can confess that while in Singapore I’ve been coasting. It is very subtle. At first it is simply stop reading the Bible once in a while. Then sin becomes more attractive. The desire to labor for the Lord slows down. I become complacent.
It is interesting how Paul describes in Philippians that even him, one of the Apostles, continued to focus on the Lord so he doesn’t disqualify himself. If he needs to remain steady, fixing his eyes on Jesus, how much more should I (or should we?)
I believe a better way to measure someone’s growth in Christ, or his/her maturity, is not merely the time they go to church or how long they’ve become a Christian. Rather, it is whether they still have the passion for the Lord.
Are they (am I) have the urgency to share the Good News (1 Corinthians 9:16)?
Are they (am I) still hate sin and crucify my flesh (1 Corinthians 6:18)?
Are they (am I) still depend on Him for my daily bread (Matthew 6:11)?
In any cycling race, between the first place and the second place is often mere seconds apart. The one who doesn’t coast in his training is the one who can be strong to endure to get the first place. May we continue to press in so we get the Heavenly reward.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. rothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ JesusPhilippians 3:12-14 NIV
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV
