While working the ASR exhibit at General Conference, I’ve been privileged to have many conversations with different people about ASR, and about riding motorcycles in general.
Once such conversation I had, was about the dangers of being hit from behind when stopped at a traffic light. The gentleman who initiated the conversation, was telling his story of how he was recently planning to purchase another motorcycle, and get back into riding again.
Then, he was sitting at a traffic light in his truck, and was hit from behind. It was then, he decided, not to pursue riding again, because of how it could’ve turned out had he been on a bike.
We agreed, that the most important thing someone could do when sitting at a traffic light on a bike, is to keep it in gear, have an escape route already planned, and be watchful in the rearview mirror for any dangers approaching.
As soon as our conversation ended, my mind immediately went to the scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
God has made a way to escape all the trials and tests that come our way, but we still need to be diligent to watch the rearview for the sneak attacks of the enemy, and keep it in gear to move when God says move.
Too many times in our walk with God, we get a little lax, and shift to neutral, leaving us vulnerable for the approaching trial and test that can come up at a moment’s notice. It is easy to take our hand off the clutch, idling in neutral, and relax. But, as the Word of God reminds us, neglect can cause escape difficult, if not impossible.
So, let’s keep it in gear, ever watchful in the rearview mirror for any approaching dangers, not only on our physical bikes, but along this Christian walk.