The first bike I remember having was a yellow stingray with a banana seat. I learned to ride a bike using that one. At first I had training wheels on it. Later I learned to ride a bike and didn’t need them anymore, but I wouldn’t wanted to try to learn to ride a bike without them.
This year we’re putting forth a big push to grow in home discipleship. We’re encouraging four practices at home and in your personal life: reading a chapter of the Bible a day, reflect on a devotional verse, memorize a passage a month, and pray. In many ways these practices are like using training wheels. Think with me about some comparisons:
Training wheels are a good place to start in learning to ride a bike. These practices are a good place to start too. Some of us are just beginning to make these discipleship practices regular. Use these to help you get going.
Training wheels help build good habits like balance. Sometimes we think we’re too busy for discipleship practices. These practices will help make spiritual growth a priority and bring spiritual balance to our lives.
Training wheels help keep us from swerving and wobbling all over the place. Daily reading God’s Word, hiding it in our hearts, and talking with him helps us stay on the straight and narrow.
Training wheels are for beginners. Adults shouldn’t use training wheels. These practices are for beginners too. You might find yourself already beyond them with a good discipleship system of your own. Stay with it and at the same time aim for something deeper.
After you’re used to them, you hardly notice training wheels are there. Keep practicing these disciplines and they’ll feel very natural after time.
Training wheels are needed so that we don’t fall, but they don’t guarantee that we won’t. In fact, we usually do. You can expect that you will fall and fail a few times in practicing these disciplines. You’ll miss a day or two. You will battle resistance in your own heart. A failing or two comes with the territory.
When you fall with training wheels, the only way to learn how to ride is to get back on the bike and ride some more. If you fail in these spiritual disciplines, start over again the next day. Don’t let guilt or frustration keep you from starting over. Start with the reading for that day and move on.
Training wheels help you learn a life-long habit. When you learn how to ride a bike, you learn it for life. Even if you haven’t ridden one for years, you can hop on and go. Practicing these spiritual disciplines is not a year program, but the development of a lifestyle of connecting and communicating with God.
Strap on the training wheels and let’s ride together,
Pastor Tom