Day 8
Kick Start: Living Life Full throttle.
“It is never to late to be what you might have been.” George Eliot
Kerry Shook describes his time at a motocross track. He looked over the turns, curves, and switchbacks and asked himself, what if he just walked his bike around the track, never using the 250 cc’s of power that just needed to be kick started?
We often don’t start our engines because we feel powerless. Our lives are overloaded and we can never seem to live as we think we should. We never really seem to live the life of one who believes in a risen savior. We live our lives pushing the motorcycle around the track instead of letting it deliver its power to us.
We have a power source far beyond what the best engineers and mechanic can pack into a motorcycle, racecar, or even the rockets that propel the space shuttle out of our atmosphere. Paul urged the church in Ephesus to understand how great the power of our Master is. Do we really understand that we live for a risen Savior? Do we go through life numb to the fact that Jesus already conquered death for us?
Yes, we may crash. Some crashes are more violent than others. The motocross high side crash described by Kerry is certainly a risk. Peter had a high side crash. Bold, brash, bullet proof Peter told his Master that he would be with him every step of the way, and then became meek and cowardly in the final hours before Jesus would hang on the cross.
But Peter recovered from his high side crash. Actually, he did much more than recover. He became someone greater than even Peter imagined he could be. Jesus restored him. Jesus empowered him to do more than Peter ever imagined he would do.
The make it count moment for today is: When was the last time that you experienced a high side crash?
How did you handle it?
How did it impact your life?
Did you grow closer to God?
Did you grow closer to those you love?
We are going to fail. It happens to all of us. Those who take greater risks have a greater chance of failure—of big failure. We also have a Lord of second chances. Actually, second, third, fourth chances.
God designed us to live our lives going forward. That’s the only way we can live life. To truly live, we must kick start our engines, get out on the track, and open up the throttle. Yes, we will certainly take some spills, but we can’t truly live if we never start our engine. In fact, live becomes more of a trial or a burden when we push our motorcycle around the track.
I think that God wants us to live more like
the man in the arena described by President Theodore Roosevelt. He does not want us among the cold and timid souls that know neither victory nor defeat.
Here are today’s make it last for life challenges from Chris and Kerry Shook.
1. Make a list of all the things you can think of that prevent you from fully trusting God with your life. Include past disappointments, hurts, losses, doubts, and anything that keeps you from trusting Him fully. Spend a short time praying that God helps you to release you from these obstacles so that you can fulfill your purpose.
2. What is your greatest fear about trusting God completely with your life? What is the basis for this fear? How would you face this fear with only a month to live?
3. Call someone today and make an appointment to get together so you can talk through getting back on your faith track—to where you trust God fully.
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