From the Inside Out

“Want to take a ride?” a friend asked from astride his motorcycle.

Nineteen-year old me was hoping he’d ask. So off we went—but not before L. shared an important instruction: “When we come to corners and curves, just lean into them. Follow my lead.”

The physics of a two-wheel bike require such a response. Otherwise riders will end up at the curb or in a ditch.  But leaning into the curve feels counter-intuitive to many first-time riders.

The journey of life also presents curves to navigate: physical setbacks, emotional trauma, and problematic circumstances. At such times, some of us default to responses that do more harm than good—reactions such as self-pity, anger, despair, and fear. If not corrected, these emotions will throw us into a ditch of distress.

But just as motorcyclists learn to navigate curves in a road, we can learn to navigate curves in life.

How?

1. Stay aligned 

 Wheels out of alignment cause instability—especially dangerous on a tight curve.

On the road of life, we travel best when our spirits are aligned—with regular times of Bible study and prayer. To the uninitiated, that may sound boring. But as the habit is established, participants begin to crave that quiet time when God speaks encouragement and instruction, and we share gratitude and concerns.

To start, you might choose an earlier bedtime and rising time. But it’s worth it. Awaiting you are wonderful things (1)!*

2. Lean in with positivity

Leaning into the curves with his body weight allows a cyclist to maintain balance. Leaning into the curves of life with faith and optimism keeps our spirits balanced, and out of the ditch of worry and complaint.

David of Old Testament times certainly earned the right to grumble and fret. Throughout his life he faced obstacles, enemies, and even death. But he learned to lean into such curves—with God.

One time after David was seized by his enemies, the Philistines, he wrote the following: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise…What can mere mortals do to me”(2)?

How could David be so confident in the Lord? He knew God well, as protective, righteous, loyal, loving, and good (3)—among other attributes. David focused on his gracious God, not his troubling circumstances.

A steadfast, positive attitude begins with faith in God.

3. Remember the curves of the past

Once a novice cyclist has maneuvered a tight curve, the next one is a bit easier, and the next easier yet. Soon she sails around those bends with confidence, based on her experience.

The psalmists allowed experience to provide confidence on the twisting road of life. They remembered the Lord’s wonderful deeds and miracles, his acts of power and surpassing greatness (4).

And though God certainly deserves every breath of praise we offer, there is benefit for us in the remembering also. Meditation on all his kind deeds of the past sets a tone of confidence for the curves ahead—confidence in God (5).

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Every day we travel the road of life into the unknown. But with our spirits aligned with God’s Spirit, a positive attitude grounded on faith, and confidence in God based on his flawless record, the unknown does not have to be a source of fear.

It can be an open road of sublime adventure.

*However! If you are parenting a newborn and/or little folks, caring for an elderly family member, etc.—if exhaustion is your constant companion and time to just breathe is in short supply—be kind to yourself. Listen to a Bible-centered podcast while folding laundry; pray while loading the dishwasher. God will smile with pleasure at any effort to connect with him. And in-depth Bible study can become a priority for the next stage of life.

Notes:

1. Psalm 119:18
2. 1 Samuel 21:10-15; Psalm 56:3-4
3. Psalm 5:11; 7:17; 9:10; 12:5; 25:8
4. Psalm 9:1; 105:5a; 150:2
5. Isaiah 63:7; Psalm 103:2 BSB

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