Tandem

Written by cycleguy on January 25th, 2019

Given the snow event we had last weekend which resulted in only the second cancellation of our Sunday service in 13 years, I am re-posting this for this weekend.

If I were to ask you, or take a survey by asking one question, I wonder what your answer would be. Here is the question: What one thing do you see as the possibly the hardest thing to have today?

My guess is that many would answer TRUST.

We are being told much more than we want to hear today (it is called TMI). Sadly, much of what we are told we don’t know whether to believe or not. We are told to be our own boss. Why? “Because you can’t trust anyone.” We are being told to do our own thing. Why? “Because you can’t trust anyone to keep their word.” We listen to self-help gurus, exercise gurus, financial gurus and every other one you can think of because we are told “you can’t trust anyone else so forge your own path to success.”  One of the common lines from Back to the Future is when George tells Marty: “See, like I said! If you put your mind to it you can can accomplish anything.”

In reality, independence is an illusion; it is a delusion. “I want to be my own person” is nothing more than a foolish statement for the Christ-follower. The simple truth is “we are not our own. We have been bought with a price.”  The world offers independence. What the world really offers is slavery.

God has designed us to live in a dependent, obedient, and worshipful relationship with Him and in humble, interdependent relationships with each other.  It is like riding a tandem bicycle. The one in the front seat is the one who steers and guides. The one in the back can cause all sorts of havoc if he/she decides to operate independently from the front seat driver. They must work together. God has designed our earthly relationships to work that way as well as our relationship with Him.

My message for Sunday is entitled Tandem and is from Psalm 27:8-14. It is the final one in the short series on Psalm 27. I’d appreciate your prayers. Thanks.

 

 

10 Comments so far ↓

  1. Kari Scare says:

    I think we have trust issues a lot of times because we have truth issues. In other words, there are too many different versions of truth people are basing their belief systems on. Having a single standard for truth – God’s standard – would go a long way to addressing the trust issues we have.

  2. Meekly Seeking says:

    I must confess that I’m probably one that can no longer climb into that tandem bike with anyone but the Lord Himself. Whether I’ve been in front or back seat, the other people I’ve ridden with have caused enough mischief enough times that I’ve given up pretty much altogether on trusting there’s a safe ride to be had with others. It’s sad because I ache for true friendship.

  3. Absolutely, Bill! We are designed to be in a “dependent, obedient, and worshipful relationship” with God. Anything less, and our lives lose all their meaning.
    Prayers for you this Sunday!
    Blessings!

  4. floyd samons says:

    I’m with you, Bill. It is illusion.

    I repeat to myself often the words inspired by God to
    David. “All things come from Your hand”.

  5. Ryan S says:

    I need to remember that I am in the back seat and God is driving… I also need to remember to keep peddling!

    Praying the service will go as God intends.