When riding my bike I am often psyched out by hills. To my shame, I must admit that I sometimes change my route because of them. When I am not the one choosing the route, I will be thinking of the hill (if I know about it) long before I get to it. The hill has me primed for defeat long before it is time to climb it.
Now, as I ride less often than I used to, I have the excuse that I am not in shape for the hills, but I struggled with the thought of hills even when in good condition. My problem is mental before it is physical.
In considering this, I find that the same is true in my spiritual life. I am often psyched out at the thought of sharing my faith or letting people know the good news of Jesus Christ. I can get overwhelmed at the idea of not being able to handle objections, questions or hostility.
In response to the question of hills on the bicycle, there are two things I can do to overcome this fear. The first is to work on conditioning so that the physical aspect is not the problem. The second thing is to take the hills as they come and not get psyched out before getting to the hill.
In the same way, there are also two things I can do in response to the fear of sharing my faith. The first is to study so that I can present a reasonable explanation of what I believe (2 Timothy 2:15). The second is to take the objections and questions as they come knowing that I don’t have to have all the answers. In Luke 12:11-12 Jesus promises that when his followers are brought before rulers and authorities, the Holy Spirit will bring guidance about what to say. Since we are commanded to make disciples (Matthew 28:19) and the only way to make disciples is to share our faith, the promise must hold true whenever we are seeking to represent Jesus to those who need him.
So, I need to borrow from a Nike slogan for both hills and sharing, “just do it.”
What do you think?
I have been a cyclist for years now. Used to live in flat land and hills would always be something to avoid. Until one day i road in a one day ride near Bloomington, In. Hill after hill. I finally figured out the key: “find a gear you are comfortable with, find your zone, and pedal.” It worked and after that i am no longer afraid of hills but actually relish them. I think life is like that as well.
Thanks for your thoughts. I’ve been better at this but have room for improvement.
I can relate. I often give up before I even begin. I guess it comes down to whether I’m going to trust in God or trust in myself.
Thanks for sharing, it’s always nice to know you’re not alone.
Thanks for the reminder that it comes down to trust in God.
Great thoughts Mark, being a cyclist and having anxiety over these two issues as well I can really relate. Thanks for your insights on sharing your faith and breaking down the fear barrier.
Knowing what to do is the first step. The second is having the discipline to do it. I struggle with both. But as Brandon said, it is nice to know that I’m not alone.