Jun 29, 2015
Where the rubber meets the road
by Bill Probasco
Over the past year I have traveled a lot on the weekends to share what God has given me as a vision for General Conference. It’s been great visiting various congregations and talking about being “Steadfast.” On most of these weekend trips I’ve shared some things about myself I feel I’m steadfast about. I’m a Seattle Seahawks fan; I enjoy Presidential historical sites; I’m a Seventh Day Baptist; and I bike ride. It’s easy for me to qualify my team fandom by citing trivia, showing ticket stubs, wearing my team shirt, etc. It’s easy for me to quantify my Presidential history hobby by posting pictures from visits on social media, showing books I’ve read, sharing facts I’ve learned, etc. It’s also fairly easy for me to verify my being a Seventh Day Baptist by highlighting my attendance at church, finding my baptism certificate from the Shiloh SDB church, seeing the committees on which I serve, even noting my current “General Conference President” title, etc. It’s not as easy with bike riding. I’m not in a large stadium; I’m not at a historical site with hundreds of other people (OK, we’ll say ten if I’m lucky…); I’m not in a pew beside several dozen other worshippers. Typically it’s just me, or me and a friend. Unless you pass me on the road, you wouldn’t know I’d gone bike riding unless I mentioned it. It’s that fact that makes me think about being “Steadfast” in a different light.
You see, as I mentioned, I have been traveling a lot on the weekends, and that’s when I usually do my bike riding. It wasn’t until recently that the weather and the schedule allowed me to get back out on the road with my bike. I met my friend early on Sunday morning in May and off we rode on our usual circuit. Shortly into our ride, I could tell it had been a while since I’d ridden. I wasn’t as quick up the hill; I grew short of breath more quickly; I wasn’t keeping pace as easily as I had on previous rides. Other things had filled my schedule, and now I was seeing the results. I’ve been sharing on my church visits that I’m a steadfast bike rider. Had I reached the point that I was a steadfast bike rider? It was evident that I needed more time on my bike to get back to feeling the way I have felt in the past. Similarly, I see this as a danger in my spiritual walk. I can say I’m a steadfast Christian, then allow other things to take my time away. Maybe I don’t make it to church as regularly as I have; maybe I skip a “daily” devotional; maybe my language starts to slip; maybe my comments and discussions become more like gossip and criticisms. Soon, like my bike riding, the only evidence of my being a Christian is the fact that I tell people I am. God showers Steadfast mercy down on us. Shouldn’t we be more steadfast in our desire to better represent Him? It’s only by working at my endurance on my bicycle that I have any hope of improving on it. Saying I have worked at it doesn’t count. It’s where the “rubber meets the road” that the work gets done. That’s true for getting my bike tires actually out on the road, as well as getting my knees on the ground in prayer or my eyes on the pages of Scripture.
As we close in on the General Conference sessions later this month, I pray we all remain steadfast for Christ. He provides such opportunity for us all with His steadfastness. Let us all feel inspired to be steadfast Christians with more than lip-service. Let’s represent our Savior each and every day.
God bless, and I look forward to seeing everyone at Lancaster Bible College!
