Skip to main content

Consider This: The Cost of Coasting



In the fall of 1989, when our Bible college and high school moved from North Weyburn, Saskatchewan to Dauphin, Manitoba, a bunch of us decided to mark the occasion by doing a torch relay.  We built a bonfire at the old campus, lit a torch, put the torch on a mountain bike and headed to Dauphin.
 

For the first few hours, everyone was excited about riding the bike.  Then the excitement wore off.  Instead of getting on the bike and pedalling against the wind, some decided to stay in the nice warm van that was following along.  
 

Eventually, we came to the Fort Qu’appelle hill.  I was on the bike, and seeing this hill made me smile.  It was long and steep, and the highway was in good condition.  It was perfect for coasting!  If I remember correctly, the driver of the van said that I was going more than 30 mph when I hit the bottom of the hill.  It felt even faster.  Coasting downhill was great!
 

However, there was a problem.  Once the highway levelled out, I began to slow down.  Eventually, I stopped.  Then we had to do the hard work of riding the bike up and out of the valley again.
 

Coasting is fun while it lasts.  However, it is not sustainable.  
 

Many seem to believe that coasting is the goal!  They dream of a time when they have no responsibilities and nothing to do.  That is fun for a month or two, but eventually, we realize that coasting is not that interesting or challenging.  
 

Everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning.  Everyone needs a challenge and a vision of something bigger than themselves.  We are built to be contributors, not coasters.
 

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Grace Changes Everything

               A young man broke into a business and did $5000 damage. As part of his Restorative Justice sentence, he was required to meet with my friend Garth.   Garth believes in making apologies and restitution.   It took several months, but Garth finally convinced the young man that these were necessary steps, so he tried to arrange a meeting with the business owner.                The business owner wanted nothing to do with this situation.   He was angry and wanted a more severe form of justice.   Eventually, however, he agreed to meet the young man to hear what he had to say.                  The young man looked the business owner in the eye an...

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    

New Article: Think Abundance Not Scarcity

                 “There are no trees in Saskatchewan!”                I have heard that statement many times, mostly from people who moved to Estevan from places like British Columbia or northern Ontario.   Compared to what they expect, Saskatchewan, and Estevan in particular, seems rather barren.   However, that statement is not true.   More than half the province is covered with trees.   Go up north and there are trees everywhere.                A few months ago, I came across an aerial photo of Estevan from the 1950s.   When I showed it to my girls, the first thing they said was, “Wow, there are no trees in that picture!”   The photo looked odd ...