How To TRIPLE Your Faith In ONE Second Flat
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” —2 Corinthians 5:7
It was a long way down to the bottom…
The ground looked hard and unforgiving…
I would have zero room for error…
As I flew through the narrow gap between the trees.
The rugged edge of this steep drop only added to my fears…
A long, twisted root lined the end of the trail right before the earth disappeared below.
It was one final obstacle. Placed between me and my leap of faith.
I didn’t want to hit this root at the wrong angle...
Or it would buck my back tire forward, pushing me headfirst into the air—until I crashed 7 feet beneath me.
I was anxious. And scared. I didn’t want to get hurt.
But with all these rational reasons why I shouldn’t attempt this questionable move…
I couldn’t ignore it.
This large mountain biking drop in the middle of the woods…
God used it to beckon me…
To call me by name…
“Ryan, you must do this. You must overcome your fear and take this leap of faith. You don’t feel ready now.
But here’s the simple truth: You will NEVER feel ready until AFTER you jump and see how you land.”
Of course, my Lord and Savior was 100% correct. (He always is.)
But I still didn’t feel prepared for this.
I needed to build more confidence first.
Or at least that’s what my fear told me…
To stop me from leaping into faith—every day of my life.
Your fear spouts the same lies to you.
It’s now time we all prove our fears WRONG.
Once and for all.
My Leap of Faith: Did I Make It OR Not? (And Will You?)
I L-O-V-E mountain biking.
It’s one of the few activities I do simply for the enjoyment of doing it.
I bought my first semi-serious bike when we moved to North Carolina in 2015.
For the first few years, I just dabbled in the sport.
Our newborn son, Zac kept me busy. It was difficult to sneak away from home.
But when I could disappear for an hour, I would hide in the woods. On the one, rarely-maintained mountain biking trail in town.
It was eroded. And overgrown with trees.
So I fell. A lot.
I didn’t realize how much I fell until I improved my riding skills years later.
I couldn’t understand why I always exited the woods covered in dirt while everyone else looked like they just biked through a car wash.
But it didn’t matter to me.
The challenge of the trail called. And I couldn’t ignore it’s meaningful request.
Mountain biking resembles the demanding journey of daily life in so many ways:
The unexpected, hairpin turns…
The steep, grueling climbs…
The gnarly roots and jagged rocks…
The soaring jumps and deepest drops…
You face one challenge after another. And you need new skills, new confidence, new faith to dominate each one.
I use mountain biking as a tool to train my brain and program my soul for the rest of life.
To overcome resistance. To face my fears.
To become a better version of myself every time I hit the trail.
But if you want to improve at anything, you need to practice…
You need progression. You need coaching and mentor ship from someone more experienced.
So in 2020, I made a decision:
It was time to get serious. I would become a better rider.
No. Matter. What.
I upgraded my bike (full-suspension baby!)…
I carved out riding time in my schedule twice a week…
And most valuable of all, bought a few lessons with a coach…
…who opened my eyes to everything I was doing wrong.
I focused on different skills each week.
And as I progressed, I would find a new challenge I needed to defeat.
I pushed through fear. Tested myself. Discovered what I could do next.
While I asked God for protection and to pick me up each time I fell.
I lived in my own mountain biking video game—earning a new ability each time I leveled up.
Then, one day, about 4 miles deep into the woods, I saw it…
The towering leap of faith I was destined to take.
I rolled around a corner, analyzing the trail as it zoomed by in front of me…
….until it was gone.
The ground disappeared. Looked like it evaporated from all existence.
But it was still there. Just now 7 feet below my front tire.
I had seen plenty of bikers on Youtube land bigger drops than this one.
They made it look easy.
But this steep drop didn’t look easy now. Especially from atop my bike—with my feet clipped into my pedals.
It was a long, long, long, long way down.
Yet, I was still tempted…
I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. That I could beat the fear.
That all the time, all the effort, all the energy I invested into biking could be channeled into one epic, dominating victory on the trail.
But I still couldn’t do it. The fear was too strong.
So I bailed. Biked by to the easier parts.
Of course, I immediately tried to rationalize my decision…
“I can’t afford to get hurt.”
“I’m not ready for this drop yet.”
“I need a lot more practice before I attempt this one.”
“I’ve already pushed my limits on other sections of the trail today.”
But no matter what I told myself, I couldn’t escape this all-too-common, universal feeling:
Regret.
For not giving myself a chance…
For not pushing to really see what I can do…
I continued to roll by this same leap of faith for the rest of the summer.
Each time I drove to this trail, I would think ahead to this one steep drop.
Fear bubbled up inside as I pictured it in my mind…
Would I have the courage, the confidence, the faith to make the leap?
Or would I bypass it once again? Succumbing to a smaller version of myself?
I wanted to do it so bad. But I also feared falling on my face from 7 feet above.
So I practiced more….
I found other smaller drops on different trails. And continued to improve my technique…
Bend your knees. Get your butt back. As you come off the edge, push your bike forward in front of you. You need to land both tires at the same time.
Because if you land with too much front tire, you’re going over the handlebars.
Which would not be a pretty sight—especially with my feet attached to my pedals.
And then, one crisp fall day, after months of preparation, I rolled onto the same section of trail…
I bobbed and weaved through the trees, pumping my legs around the woods knowing what was up ahead for me today…
It was time. I was going to take the leap.
I still didn’t feel ready.
Yes, I was more prepared. But I wouldn’t know if I’d stick the landing until it was too late…
Until I was floating in midair, with nowhere to go but down.
I traversed the familiar terrain…
Shot around the final corner…
Picked up the speed I would need…
Rolled right up to that rugged edge…
And slammed on my brakes.
My fear stacked up in front of me like a big brick wall.
My brain was trying to protect me from the perceived danger. From falling on my head if I screwed this up.
I stood over the drop for the next 10 minutes.
I didn’t want to take the leap. But I didn’t want to leave either.
This was my moment. I could not pass it up. The fear would not win today.
I would not allow it. And God wouldn’t either.
I rolled my bike back up the trail. Jumped on my saddle. Clicked in my shoes. And rolled toward the drop once again.
With each pedal forward, my fear screamed louder and louder:
“Don’t do it!”
“Don’t do it!”
“You’re getting closer!”
“You’re too close!”
“STOP!!!”
But I ignored it. Finally.
I focused on my technique. My confidence. And as I sailed off the edge, my faith.
I was only in the air for a second…
But it was one of the most freeing, most joyful, most belief-building seconds of my 37 years on Earth.
A second I want to experience again and again for the rest of my life.
I wasn’t only leaping into the air. I was leaping into God’s arms.
He said: “I got you.”
He was holding me up…as He always does.
Every single second of every single day.
And then, He let me go…
Allowing the major force of our physical world to regain control:
Gravity.
I hit the ground. With both tires. At the same time. As I continued to roll forward once again. With my head and limbs still attached to my body.
My leap of faith was complete.
I did it. (Thank God.)
And you can too…
In any area of your life. To whatever or wherever God has called you.
Is there something you know God has told you to do, but you haven’t done it yet?..
Make a difficult phone call to a loved one?…
Share The Gospel with someone who doesn’t believe?…
Give your financial blessings to the poor and needy?…
Change careers so you can be more effective for The Kingdom?…
Whatever it is, delay no longer. Do it now.
Your faith is tested and proven with your actions. Not your words.
As you step out in faith, just keep your eyes forever fixed on Jesus. Not your fear.
“‘Come,’ said Jesus.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. ‘You of little faith,’ He said, “why did you doubt?’” —Matthew 14:29–31
Leave your comfort zone. And it will expand to where you go.
You’ll see a wondrous display of all God can do through you — and your weaknesses.
Today, I can leap off my once-terrifying drop without hesitation. And with confidence and belief.
My faith has been strengthened, refined like gold, through my actions.
And I still have a very, very, very long way to go.
Your time is now. God is commanding you…
“Take your next step. With ME.”
This is NOT a blind leap.
See with your faith, not only your eyes.
Talk with your Heavenly Father.
Lean on His Word.
Seek Godly counsel.
Your actions are backed by the assurance and certainty of your faith.
This is a wonderful gift only given to those who believe.
You just have to jump.
God has created special works for you. To step into. To leap into.
Don’t miss out on those precious seconds…
When all you have holding you up is your Father’s arms.
