Not Motivated

I have now officially came down from the euphoric high that results when the snow melts and flowers bloom.  After a harsher than normal winter I attacked the mountains every day with the almost certain knowledge that the trails would soon be closed down by yet another snowstorm that drops a foot or two of white fluffy slush.  After a month or so I finally realized that Old Man Winter no longer could threaten me and I slowly slipped into complacency.  Only weeks ago I was putting in 3-4 rides a week and averaging close to 80 miles of riding. Now I might get out twice a week for maybe 30-40 miles.  The weather couldn't be any better but I am having real trouble getting motivated; which you might have noticed by the dearth of posts the last two weeks.

Maybe it is my personality. Although I can't say that I really enjoy adversity and hardship, I do try harder and get more accomplished whether it is a deadline approaching, or a thunderstorm on the weather radar and I'm stuck in the mountains with no shelter.  Biking is so easy this time of year that I'm not quite so frantic to get in the miles. I know that I can put off a ride till tomorrow so I procrastinate and then never get out to ride at all.

Although I could apply a biking metaphor to almost anything I have to think of how biking complacency compares to spiritual complacency.  When I have been dragged down and am facing stress and hardship in my life, my first reaction is to drop to my knees and ask for forgiveness and strength to get through the tough times.  Days or weeks later things have smoothed out and my life is going great but I no longer have the intimate relationship with Christ that I did when I needed him most. I am sure that almost every Christian has experienced this paradox; often when your physical life is hard, your spiritual life is much better.  On the flip side, an easy life often leads to complacency and an eroding of your core principles. Just as vast empires rise when their people are struggling to survive against the elements and outside enemies, then fall into decline while their people bask in the luxuries won for them by their ancestors; a Christian can fall away when things are too easy to make them realize what really matters.  Just as we should always bike like a maniac who knows that winter is a week away, we should also realize that we need to be ready in case Christ should come today.

Till next time,