Part Two: “Focused Climbing”

“Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:27

I’ve climbed hundreds of hills on a mountain bike, and many of those looked exactly like the one in the picture.

Climbing a root covered, rutted, and rocky hill on a bike is a learned skill. The very first time I rode up to one of those kinds of hills it was very intimidating. Doubts immediately assailed me…

What in the world is this? How am I supposed to climb this hill? Can anyone climb this on a bike? How do I get over those slippery roots? What if I can’t make it and fall?

In those early days, I usually ended up just walking my bike up the hill. I didn’t have the skill or the strength to pedal uphill over those rugged obstacles.

It wasn’t until I got into riding with a group of experienced riders that I learned techniques for climbing on a mountain bike. Here’s a couple of those techniques that have helped me climb obstacles, whether on the bike or in life…

Maintain momentum. Whenever trials come it’s important to keep doing those things that propel you forward. On a bike, it means pedaling hard to get as much speed as possible for the upcoming climb.

Off the bike, it means maintaining or increasing your prayer and Bible reading if you know that there is a trial ahead. The truth is, there is always a trial ahead, so we ought to always maintain our forward spiritual momentum with prayer, study, and fellowshipping with other believers.

Pick a line. When climbing a hill full of sand, rocks, and roots, you have to be quick and decisive, scanning the terrain for the easiest path up the hill. Early on I’d just charge straight at the hill, bouncing over everything and then crashing half the time. Over time, I became a surgeon, slicing my way up the hill while deftly avoiding ruinous obstacles.

Climbing the trials of life requires picking the best line of attack. If we’re fighting sin or catastrophe, we don’t want to complicate things by crashing into bad habits. We should maneuver through our trials skillfully, using God’s Word as a blueprint for conduct.

The Christian life is a focused, steady climb of sanctification and faith. Maintain momentum, pick your line, and climb strong today, saints of God!