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La ilustración de la rueda | Recursos para el discipulado de los navegantes
La ilustración de la rueda
Publicado en: Discipulado
La ilustración de la Rueda, creada por el fundador de Navigator, Dawson
Trotman, en la década de 1930, es una manera sencilla y eficaz de explicar
visualmente la estructura de una vida que glorifique a Dios. Compartirla
puede ser tan sencillo como dibujarla en una servilleta o en un bloc de
notas. El diagrama nos desafía a pensar profundamente sobre cómo ser un
seguidor obediente de Cristo y cada parte representa un componente
crucial de una vida cristiana vibrante.
La ilustración de la rueda
El diagrama de la Rueda, creado por el fundador de
Navigator, Dawson Trotman, en la década de 1930, es una
manera sencilla y eficaz de explicar visualmente la estructura
de una vida que glorifique a Dios. Compartirlo puede ser tan
sencillo como dibujarlo en una servilleta o en un bloc de
notas. El diagrama nos desafía a pensar profundamente
sobre cómo ser un seguidor obediente de Cristo y cada parte
representa un componente crucial de una vida cristiana
vibrante.
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Cómo te relacionas contigo mismo
EL BUJE CENTRAL Y EL LLANTO EXTERIOR
Cristo:
La entrega total a la autoridad y señorío de Cristo no siempre es una decisión que se toma
en el momento de la conversión, sino que es un acto necesario de la voluntad. Para el
creyente, la “vieja vida” ha pasado y ha llegado la nueva ( 2 Corintios 5:17
<https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/2co.5.17> ), y Cristo ha comenzado a morar en
nosotros ( Gálatas 2:20 <https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/gal.2.20> ). Dios crea en
nosotros el deseo de hacer lo que Él quiere que hagamos para expresar Su señorío en
nuestras vidas.
El cristiano obediente en acción:
Algunos actos de obediencia a Dios son internos, como las actitudes, los hábitos, los
motivos, los valores y los pensamientos cotidianos. Pero incluso estos, con el tiempo, salen
a la superficie en nuestras relaciones con otras personas. Guardar sus mandamientos en
obediencia es nuestra indicación externa de salud interior y amor por Cristo ( Juan 14:21
<https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/jhn.14.21> , Romanos 12:1
<https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/rom.12.1> ).
Cómo te relacionas con Dios
LOS RADIOS VERTICALES
La Palabra:
Dios usa su palabra para hablarnos directamente, revelándonos no sólo quién es Él, sino
también cómo nos llama a vivir e interactuar con todos los que nos rodean ( 2 Timoteo
3:16 <https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/2ti.3.16> ). Esto significa que una sincera
ingesta personal de la Palabra de Dios es esencial para nuestra salud y crecimiento
espiritual ( Josué 1:8 <https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/jos.1.8> ). Cuando Dios nos
habla a través de las Escrituras, aprendemos a obedecerlo y a aplicar el evangelio a cada
parte de nuestra vida. También llegamos a conocer a Jesús personalmente y descubrimos
que Él es digno de nuestra lealtad inquebrantable.
Oración:
Prayer is the natural response to God as we hear Him speak through His Word. It is sharing
our heart with the One who longs for our companionship and who cares about our
concerns. Prayer not only trains our hearts and minds to know the power and glory of God,
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but also turns His ear towards action in our lives (John 15:7 <https://www.bible.com/en-
GB/bible/111/jhn.15.7>, Philippians 4:6-7 <https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/php.4.6-
7>).
How You Relate to Others
THE HORIZONTAL SPOKES
Fellowship:
God has directed Christians to build each other up through interdependence and loving
relationships with each other (Hebrews 10:24-25 <https://www.bible.com/en-
GB/bible/111/heb.10.24-25>). Gathering together as the Body of Christ draws God close
around us as we praise Him and encourage one another (Matthew 18:20
<https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/111/mat.18.20>).
Witnessing:
God has given believers the joy and responsibility of telling the world about the good
news of Christ’s work on Earth (Matthew 4:19 <https://www.bible.com/en-
GB/bible/111/mat.4.19>). In fact, sharing about His amazing grace is the natural overflow of
a rich, vibrant life in Christ (Romans 1:16 <https://www.bible.com/en-
GB/bible/111/rom.1.16>)
Share the Wheel Illustration
Download a print friendly PDF of The Wheel Illustration to pass along.
Navigator Discipleship Tools <https://www.navigators.org/resources/> are
designed for sharing with your Bible study, church group, and those you are
discipling.
DOWNLOAD <https://www.navigators.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/02/navigators-the-wheel.pdf>
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Additional Languages
The Wheel Illustration is also available in the following languages:
Dutch: Het Wiel <https://www.navigators.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Het-
wiel.pdf>
Korean: 수레바퀴 예화 <http://navpress.co.kr/활용-방법/수레바퀴-예화/>
Norwegian: Disippelhjulet <https://navigatorene.no/til-inspirasjon/disippelhjulet>
Portuguese: A Ilustração da Roda <https://www.navigators.org/wp-
content/uploads/2024/01/A_Ilustracao_da_Roda.pdf>
Russian: колесо <https://www.navigators.org/wp-
content/uploads/2024/01/The_Wheel_Illustration_Russian.jpg>
Spanish: La Illustración de la Rueda <https://www.navigators.org/wp-
content/uploads/2025/02/navigators-wheel-illustration-spanish.pdf>
History of The Wheel Illustration
<https://www.navigators.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/smtract.png>
Two years after his conversion, twenty-two year old Dawson Trotman
<https://www.navigators.org/about/history/> who later founded The Navigators sought
to establish teen-aged boys in the Christian life. He had compared the Christian life to a
three-legged stool. But life in Christ was too exciting and dynamic to live sitting down, so
he asked God for another idea.
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God gave him The Wheel illustration. The hub represents Christ with four equal spokes
connecting into the source of life and power. Dawson believed this was a graphic model of
the kind of disciples Christ wanted.
In the early 1930s, The Wheel became a major emphasis in Dawson’s ministry among
sailors. And ever since, it has helped countless believers understand what they are called
to do as disciples of Christ. May it also benefit you.
This is a sample of Dawson Trotman’s Wheel Illustration tract from the 1930s.
The Evolution of The Wheel Illustration
“They say the Christian life is like a three-legged stool,” the young
Sunday School teacher told his class. “You must be supported by three
things–the Word, prayer and witnessing—to be effective in your
Christian lives.”
Throughout his ministry, Dawson Trotman, founder and first president of
The Navigators, liked to use illustrations or diagrams like this to help
others remember basic principles of the Christian life. So in the 1930s, when he was
working with Sunday School classes and boys’ clubs, he used the best illustration he had
heard describing the balanced Christian life—the three-legged stool (Illustration 1).
But Trotman became dissatisfied with the illustration. It left the
Christian sitting down—certainly not a practical way to approach the
dynamic Christian life he saw taught in the Bible. After much thought
and prayer, he designed what he called “The Wheel” illustration to solve
this problem.
This wasn’t The Wheel many of us know today, but a forerunner to it.
The hub was Christ, the center of the Christian’s life; but there were only three spokes on
this wheel, corresponding to the three legs of the stool (Illustration 2).
Now he had the Christian moving, but he began to see another weakness in the
illustration. It showed that Christians should witness, know the Word and pray, but it left
out the application of the Bible to all areas of one’s life demonstrating the power of
Christian living.
So Trotman added a fourth spoke—”Living the Life”—to The Wheel (Illustration 3). The rim
was called “The Christian Life” or “The Christian in Action.”
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This emphasis on living every area of life with and for the Lord came at
an important time. Dr. Arthur Glasser, dean of the School of Mission at
Fuller Theological Seminary, says, “Dawson was one of the pioneers in
reacting against easy believism. Daws said ‘You can’t treat a command
in the Bible as advice. A command is a command!’ He was a living
protest against a form of Christianity that sought to understand the
Bible, but which wasn’t serious about obeying it.”
Later the new fourth spoke, “Living the Life,” was shortened to
“Obedience” and the rim was renamed “The Christian Living the Life”
(Illustration 4). Some people asked, “Where is the Holy Spirit in the
Wheel?” Trotman answered that the Holy Spirit was intrinsic
throughout, being necessary to the fulfillment of each component of
The Wheel.
After Trotman’s death, in 1956, The Wheel continued to change. Some thought
“Obedience” shouldn’t be a spoke, since it wasn’t in the same category as the other
spokes. Rather, it was the theme of the entire Wheel.
At the same time others realized that another basic element of the
Christian life was not included in The Wheel, even though it was being
practiced throughout the body of Christ and was found throughout
the New Testament—fellowship. So in 1968 “Obedience” was moved to
the rim of the Wheel and “Fellowship” replaced it as a spoke.
That leaves us with The Wheel as it is today (Illustration 5). And
whether it remains in this form, or is eventually changed again, it is a
useful way of understanding and remembering the essentials for living the Christian life,
just as its forerunners were.
Original title: “The Wheel Was Once a Three-Legged Stool,” by Ray King from the January
1975 issue of NavLog.
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