On The Bike
Afew times a week I, along with several dozen other classmates, mount astationary bike for 45 minutes of pure hell. “Spin class,” the very mention of that phrase causes me to recoil. But thanks to Adam and his sin in the garden,it’s the price I now have to pay. So off I go at some God-forsaken, early-morninghour, going up and down from my seat, as I fiddle with the knob and adjust thetension on my bike creating more resistance and hopefully burning morecalories.
Nowspin class is hard enough, but what makes it downright deflating is when, likethe other day, my instructor is playing the role of drill sergeant as she pacesback and forth, begging and pleading with us to give it our all. I wanted to gopostal when she castigated one of my panting participants for not pushing itharder. Excuse me? How are you even talkingin sentences right now? Oh, that’s right, you’re not on your bike.
Nothing’smore deflating than a so-called leader who’s not on the bike with you.
Leadershipreally is about getting on the bike with your people. The leaders who mostinspire me aren’t necessarily the most educated, or even the most winsome. Butthe leaders who move me are the ones who are buying what they’re selling, whoare personally invested as much, if not more, than their followers. Leaderslike Cortes who needed his men to be so sold out to the mission in front ofthem, that he commanded their boats to be sunk, eliminating any possibility ofever going back. Leaders like Michael Jordan who was so determined to not letthe 1993 NBA Finals go to a seventh and deciding game, that he took only enoughclothes with him to Arizona for one night, instead of potentially two (they wonthat game—game six). And who could forget Jesus, who paid the ultimatesacrifice by mounting a cross, and doing for us what we could never do forourselves. This is real leadership, the kind that inspires.
Leadershipis not do what I say, but do what I do. There’s just no getting around this. Inour postmodern culture where we value normalcy—and this kind of flatlineegalitarian (I’m not using that in reference to men and women) sense in whichwe want to project we’re all the same—it’s easy to downplay the importance ofleadership. But the older I get, the more I’m convinced that nothing happens ofeternal redemptive value outside of loving, caring and proactive leadership, inwhich the leader is on his bike with the people.
Paulshowed this kind of “on the bike” leadership when he wrote his second letter tothe Thessalonians. He had gotten wind that some in the church were falling intolaziness and he needed them to work hard. So he writes, “For you yourselvesknow how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were withyou, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil andlabor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. Itwas not because we do not have that right, butto give yourselves an example to imitate” (3: 7–9, emphasis mine). This isleadership. Paul wanted his followers to step it up. He doesn’t point them to abook or blog to read. He doesn’t ask them to attend a class. He just simplypulls them close and says, “look at me.”He worked hard. He wasn’t idle. He intentionally modeled before them thedesired outcome. He was “on his bike.”
Thankfully,there’re numerous spin classes at my gym, with other instructors. Nikki, myMonday morning spin class instructor, is my favorite. Sure she gets on us,trying to extract every ounce of effort she can, but she’s earned that rightbecause she’s on the bike with us. Sometimes she’s so invested she can’t eventalk, just motioning with her hands to keep pushing. And we do. She’s earned itbecause she’s in it with us. That’s leadership.
Parents,our kids want to know if we’re buying what we’re selling them, if we’re “on thebike.” Pastor, your congregation wants to know if you’re “on the bike.” Christfollower, who takes the great commission seriously as you are pouring intoothers, your disciples want to know if you’re “on the bike.”
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