I recently purchased a new motorcycle after having ridden the same bike for over five years.
What I found interesting was, the new motorcycle easily goes into the twisties. As I lean into a turn, it simply follows my lean. It is effortless.
Before getting this bike, I had no idea how much my other one fought me in this process. What I had experienced was primarily the difference in the rake of the two bikes.
For those of you who don't know, this has to do with the front forks of the bike. A bike with more rake is like a chopper, long etc. The longer the rake, the more the front tire wants to go straight.
So what does this have to do with the Lord?
Before coming to the Lord, we are used to going our own way. We may see what we should do, but we didn't have the capacity to do it. Like that first bike, where the physics are not built for turning, our nature will fight against doing what is right.
"So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)
When I go out to the garage, I have a choice between two motorcycles. One will fight me as I ride along those curvy roads, the other will not. The choice is made when I throw a leg over the bike and head on down the road.
However, if I have trouble in the twisties, it is because of the bike I chose to ride that day.
Every day we have a choice on which nature to follow. The old habits and sin nature, or the new one given to us in Christ. We make that choice in our mind.
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
It really does come down to choice.
