Train to Gain

My son was gifted with a new bike for his birthday (Thanks Lolo Art and Lola Mel). He was so happy. He was already biking inside the mall. Oh kids, they grow up so fast. I even thought the bike was big for him. But he was able to manage pedalling it like a big kid.  His bike still has training wheels, because my son still needs to learn to balance, and I'm going to teach him just that.

In life, we need some of those "training wheels" and we need a good trainer. In doing something new, we need to train to help us cope and balance.  Everyday is training, for each day is new. There can never be a replay of yesterday or a preview of tomorrow.  So how do we train for this life's challenges? How do we keep on moving forward? How do we keep from falling?

T - Trust in the Father

Although Sev has his training wheels, it's me who's going to teach my son how to ride the bike. And  it's me who will say its time to take off the training wheels. But when I do, Ill be ready to catch him if he falls. If I, an earthly father can do this for my son, much more can the Heavenly Father do for His children.

R -  Reflect on the learning

It's not about how fast you get through the training, but how much learning you have absorbed.  When we make mistakes, let us reflect more instead of regretting. Surely, when we were learning to ride a bike we had some knee wounds or some bruises. It's these little accidents that make us remember what we did wrong and help us do better the next time.

A - Appear for training

Show up. If we are lazy, we will not learn. Nobody learns to bike if he won't show for practice.  When we do not show up, specially  in our prayer time, we might just miss out on what God would have been excited to tell us for the day.  The more we procrastinate or postpone, the longer will we move forward in life.  Consistency and diligence is important in learning.

I - Instructions should be followed.

What the trainer says is important. I'll be coaching or instructing my Son in balancing so he can avoid more mistakes.  In life, we get our instructions from the Bible.  I read somewhere that Bible can also mean Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Through His prophets and anointed writers, God has revealed how we are to live our lives.

N - New things come everyday

Even to the last day of our lives, there will always be something to learn.  We need to adjust to situations and  be ready to learn and respond better in the future.  In biking, not every turn or hump is the same. We have to know how to keep our balance and get through the obstacle.  The basics of training will help us in dealing with these new things.

My goal as father trainer is to take off the training wheels when the time comes.  But I'll always keep watch. God our Father, in His love for us, wants us to learn to be strong in faith.  By giving us free will, He lets go of us, trusting that we will call on Him when the road gets rough and when we're about to fall. God, with His mighty hand saves us. He trains us, so we may gain life eternal with Him in heaven.


Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 1 Cor. 9:25

Dare To Trust

To trust is not as simple as it sounds. Trusting is an act of faith.  It involves risk.  But in exchange of the risk we take in trusting others, there is a heightened sense of empowerment for the entrusted.  Jesus exemplified this when he said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12)."


The same is said in one of General Patton's quotations:

 Once in Sicily, I told a general who was somewhat reluctant to attack that i had perfect confidence in him. To show it, I went home.
Never tell people what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. (General George S. Patton)


Imagine. God entrusts us fully to continue the work He started. He even went home to His Father.  Whether at home or at work, how do we build trust with the people God gave us under our leadership?


T - Train with them
To give someone such a big responsibility without preparation or adequate training is like letting your friend pilot an airplane without going to flying school. It's bound to crash. With the training comes the discipline and expectation. With this you are positioning them to be trustworthy.


R - Respect their gifts
Each of us are endowed with talents.  By acknowledging a person's strength and matching it to the right task will help build up confidence.  By respecting their God-given gifts, they will do better than expected.

U - Understand their situation
Genuine empathy will help them realize that you care.  As John Maxwell says, "They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."  To doubt the validity of their reasons for being absent or failing to deliver is an indicator of a weak foundation of mutual trust.

S - Space to grow
Give them room to initiate and innovate. If you are there to meddle at every step of the way, they won't feel that they have achieved something.  Without creative space, there is no true empowerment.  A smaller tree cannot grow under the shade of a bigger tree.  Trees are planted at a distance from each other so they can have sufficient sunlight and water.


T - Time for bonding
The more time you spend with the people you trust or hope to trust, the deeper will be the foundations of trust.  Time is also about attention.  It makes the other person feel important and listened to. Trust is built over time. Recall a person you trust.  Your cherished memory of this person will most likely be your times of bonding.


More than 2,000 years after Christ's death, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Christianity continues to grow because the He entrusted to us His mission to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... (Matthew 28:19)."  He also said, "As the Father sent me so I send you (John 20:21)."


Jesus trusted His apostles like no other.  Although some of them betrayed Him, His love for them remained unchanged. Let us dare to trust like Jesus trusts.