Chasing New Growth
Last week I shared about Greg, who at 73 years old said he had “grown more in the last year spiritually than in the previous 10 years combined.” Greg shared his story with all the guys at breakfast, and it was encouraging to see how his transparency prompted others to share what God has been doing in their lives.
Another guy who shared was Mat, a successful businessman and local bike shop owner in Little Rock. I bought a few bikes from him over the years (four and counting!) We had mutual friends but I didn’t know him very well until he joined us on our first trip a few years ago. Mat was the fastest rider of our group, and though ten years my senior, I still couldn’t keep up with him on our mountain bike rides. After Greg shared, Mat said this: “Guys I’ve never really been much of a reader. I’ve been more of a jock. But last year you guys recommended a book to me and I thought I’d give it a try. Now we’re a year later and I’ve since read the book TWICE! Not only that but I started reading my Bible every day. I’ve been on a plan to read through the Bible in a year and I can’t get enough of it.”
I sat stunned. What a testimony and a powerful example of a guy who is open to growth and change. After a moment of silence, I looked around to see if anyone else would ask. Finally Greg had the courage to say it, “Mat, remind us which book we recommended?” Of course I remembered but I wanted to see if they did… He said it was The Purpose Driven Life. He also mentioned to me later that he’s using a Bible reading guide that has questions to answer to help keep him on track with reading the Bible. It’s called The Bible in 52 Weeks for Men.
What I love about Mat’s story is how he didn’t let the identity he had created for himself hold him back. It was an important identity for sure, one that had helped him become a successful business owner and athlete, but one that was now limiting his growth. It’s easy to keep saying to yourself, “I’m a jock, not a nerd, I don’t read. I’m a businessman juggling a hundred things and don’t have time to sit still long enough to read.” But God has Mat in a new season of life with new opportunities to pour into others spiritually, especially his kids and grandkids.
I’ve been chasing Mat on a bike and now I’m watching him chase new vistas of growth, just like the “Grow” theme for our church this year. Let’s all keep chasing the growth God has for us as we seek to share the gospel all over the South End of Louisville!
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash