What I Learned About God from a Bicycle

I have surprised my husband with a gift just once.

“C’mon,” I told him one Christmas, motioning for him to follow me to the garage.

He gave me a curious look when he saw something covered by a sheet.

“TA DA,” I said, uncovering a red, shiny tandem bicycle, with baskets.

I’m not sure how to describe his surprised look, but he got on it.

Our First Ride

For you to understand what happened next, you need to know that I had envisioned romantic, casual rides through the pastoral countryside, with French bread poking up from our packed picnic lunches in its baskets. I could already hear us singing “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two).”

Biking on a curvy road with a speed limit of 55 m.p.h. was not what I had imagined, even if it was in the country. But my husband was in the front seat, in charge, and he took off when I got on.

I was not a good back-seat rider. My role was “stoker,” which means I was to focus on pedaling and maintaining balance. Instead, my feet often bounced off the pedals, and I repeatedly leaned the wrong way.

“I want to be the captain,” I complained.

My husband graciously let me get in the front seat, where I would be in control of steering and braking.

On the way down the driveway, I landed us in the bushes.

Learning to Ride with My Captain

I was a poor stoker and a worse captain. But the bike taught me more than that. I learned that the proper riding of a tandem teaches just about everything we need to live the Christian life in just five principles.

Here they are:

1. Make God your Captain: He leads. You follow.

God is a good Captain who wants the best for you and knows how to get you there. The Captain sees what the stoker cannot—the road ahead, the impending obstacles, and the approaching turns. It’s when we try to steer our own lives that we end up off-course, anxious, and exhausted. When we let God direct our path, we discover the beauty of a life aligned with His will.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

2. There’s a seat for you, but you must get on it: God invites you to journey with Him but doesn’t force you.

Getting on the bike is your decision—your act of faith. It’s not enough to admire the bike from a distance or talk about how great the ride could be. You must choose to get on and pedal. You can’t experience the joy of the journey unless you take your place and commit to the ride. Your seat has a purpose no one else can fill, and God delights when take your place on it .

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12b-13

3. Listen for the Captain’s voice: God’s children seek His guidance.

Because the element to successful tandem cycling is communication, you must listen to the Captain’s cues. Listening well means tuning out distractions and paying attention to God. It means learning to hear God’s voice.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. John 10:27-29

4. Lean into the Captain: Draw close to God.

Riding a tandem bicycle requires moving—wait for it—in tandem. If the stoker leans one way while the Captain leans another, the bike wobbles—or worse, crashes. Even if it seems you are going too fast or are on too dangerous a road, your safest place is right there with your Captain.

Leaning into God means sticking close to Him—not ahead of Him, not dragging behind, not working against Him. When you’re in sync with your Captain, you’re not looking elsewhere for the love that only God can give. You don’t wander off into territory outside God’s boundaries. Instead, you lean in closely to the one who loves you most.

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. James 4:7-10 MSG

5. Keep peddling: Persevere in the faith.

There will be plenty of uphill climbs, moments when your spiritual legs are tired, and times when it feels like you’re not getting anywhere. But perseverance is part of the journey. Your job is not to set the pace or guarantee the results but to keep on and finish the race.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT

The Ride of Your Life

The shiny, red tandem bike didn’t meet my expectations, but it did remind me that life with God is not about what I can control but how I can trust. He is the faithful Captain who sees what I cannot and leads me where I need to go. My part is simple, though not always easy: to take my place, to listen for His voice, to lean into His presence, and to keep pedaling. The road may twist and climb, but I am never alone. And as long as I ride with Him, I can be certain I am on the path that leads to the best life.

And you can, too! Your Captain is waiting for you to take your seat and trust Him for the ride of your life.