Pedal Power

“Race you to the stop sign!” your friend shouts. Your bicycle tires hum as you whiz down the street, pedaling hard. Suddenly you begin to slow down. Your pedals are spinning, but you aren’t going anywhere. Oh, no! The chain has come off your bike and you’ve lost your “pedal power.”

Pedal power is what makes a bike go, isn’t it? If your pedals aren’t connected to your wheels, spinning them won’t get you anywhere. It’s the same way with words without actions. Do you like to talk about being kind and helpful? “I’m not selfish,” you tell Grandma. But when she passes out a plate of your favorite cookies, you make sure to get the biggest one. Hmm. I think you’re just spinning your pedals. If you don’t do what you say, there’s no power to your words. And you don’t get anywhere.

God is looking for people who will take action. People who mean what they say and do it, too. He’s not interested in children who know a lot of good things, but boys and girls who are honest and won’t tell lies. Sons that obey their parents, not those that just say they will. Daughters who are kind and good, even when Mom isn’t watching. It doesn’t matter if they talk well or look good, if they are smart or slow, English, Kenyan, or Japanese. The children of God’s kingdom are those that really love Jesus and do what He says.

Do you want to be one? Maybe you obey your parents (when you feel like it), keep your temper (half the time), and are kind to everyone (except the mean boy across the street). You try to do better, but you never seem to make progress. That’s because you need to fix the power problem first. Just like your dad needs to fix the chain on your bike so it can work again, Jesus needs to fix the problems in your heart so that you can do the right things. He has power that can get you moving and on your way to heaven.

Enough talking. Are you ready for some action?