Speaking to a neighbour a few days ago, she told me about a
recent experience she had horse riding.
An experienced rider, she knew what she
needed to do before she got onto the horse’s back. She needed to check that the
saddle was properly cinched, because apparently when the saddle is first put
on, the horse’s belly can swell and then return to normal after a few minutes,
requiring the leather strap which passes underneath to be cinched tighter.
My friend asked the person who had prepared the horse for the
ride if it was properly cinched, and rather than check it herself, she took the
person’s word for it. Yes, it was ready to go. Off she went on her horse ride
when suddenly she was aware that the saddle was slipping and she was going with
it, and had to grab hold of the horse’s head to keep herself on until she could
rectify the situation.
She knew she should check the leather strap but she didn’t.
She took someone else’s word for it.
As a Christian, my relationship with Jesus is up to me and
Jesus. He is the one who keeps me safe, who keeps me erect, who supports me. If
I let my relationship with him slip; if I depend vicariously on other people’s
relationships with Jesus, then I am in danger of slipping. When the going gets
tough, when the hills rise or valleys deepen, I am likely to slide off and come
to grief. Of course I may be able to cling on to Jesus as she did to the horse’s
head, but it’s hardly an ideal way to live my life.
So, every day, first priority for me must be to refresh my
relationship with Jesus, to know his will for me each day, to hear his words
and let them sink deep into my soul.
Then living life to the full should become a cinch.
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