Passing on the Left!

That's what the experienced biker said as he passed me by on the trail.

"Passing out is more like it," I thought to myself as I huffed and puffed and pedaled hard to keep up with my two friends.

"Passing," another bunch of riders whizzed by me.

"Help yourself!" I muttered under my breath.

"On your left!" This time it was a dad, followed by a string of little girls who obviously had more muscle power in their little legs than I do in my entire body!

It was not a fun ride. Well, it was in a way. My friends and I laughed quite a bit. The whole time I was thinking how extremely out of shape I must be. Finally we realized that the problem was my knobby trail tires; they create more resistance, making for a rougher ride.

The funny thing was, I've always ridden alone in the past. I never considered that I might be slower than the average biker, or having a tougher time. Alone - I was doing just fine. Along side some friends however, my lack of pedaling power quickly became apparent.

Later tonight, after I caught my breath and cooled off a bit, I saw an analogy between that bike ride and the Christian life. Alone, I think I'm doing alright. My sins don't seem that bad; in fact, I hardly notice at all how they drag me down. I'm encumbered by weakness but I have no clue. Then I spend time with other Christian friends. I see them curb their tongues, exhibit a spirit of humility, and live in an attitude of prayerfulness. My sins are not so comfortable now. I see how my weaknesses have dragged me down, held me back from enjoying the fullness of a relationship with Christ.

I know God wants me to walk with Him . . . to spend time alone in His presence. I'm comfortable with that. But He also commanded community for a reason. Not to compare ourselves to each other, but so that the brightness of another's light might reveal how dim my light is. And perhaps on a day when mine is shining a little brighter, another may see and want that for herself.