November 14
Risk
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. ––Ecclesiastes 11:4, ESV
It doesn’t matter how old you are. Or how successful. Or how often you’ve failed. Or succeeded. It doesn’t matter how long your hope has been delayed by disappointment. Nor does it matter how sick you are, or how healthy. No matter your life situation, there is one thing God is asking you to do, right in the middle of your current situation: risk more.
I’m not talking about paragliding or jumping out of airplanes. I’m talking about that dream or vision or idea you’ve had in the back of your mind for some time that gets your heart racing. Sometimes you wonder if that’s God’s voice or your own. Other times the self-talk goes like this: “Who do I think I am? What an arrogant, egotistical dream. Plus, I don’t think I could ever pull it off.”
Walking with Christ is a risky, treacherous proposition in and of itself. When you go “all in” for Jesus, there’s no hedging, holding back, or keeping other options open. I’m not talking about accepting Jesus as your Savior. That’s a GREAT part of the process—but it’s also the easiest part. The hard part is then deciding you are going to do what He says you should do. Risk everything for Him. No half measures. Do you know that in areas of the Middle East, particularly in places controlled by jihadist groups, the mere mention of identifying as a Christian can get you executed? Right now, all across the world, people are coming to Christ silently, but proclaiming their faith audibly. And by doing so, they put themselves and their families’ very lives at risk.
We can thank God that we live in a country where declaring one’s faith—any faith, for that matter—does not come with a death sentence. So the kinds of risks God might be calling you and me to take? They pale in comparison to many people who live in nations that are hostile toward the Gospel.
So what does risk look like for you and me? Well, for decades I thought I was going to end up planting and pastoring a church. And while I’ve had incredible assignments at churches, the dream didn’t materialize—until I turned 60. In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined planting and pastoring a church at this point in my life. But here we are, a little more than a year into a church plant that has encountered incredible growth. Risky? For sure. Satisfying? I have not felt this energized in a very long time—and I know it’s because I chose to take a leap, even when I was terrified and the little voices said, “you’re too old,” or “who do you think you are to plant a church.”
Risk is the midwife of fruitfulness. When God plants a seed inside you—no matter how frightening or difficult it seems—He didn’t do it by accident. When we take risks based upon dreams God has given us, He shows up in ways that we could never have imagined. It’s terrifying to start a new endeavor; it’s difficult to launch something from the ground up. But if God is calling you to do it—through prayerful, biblical confirmation—then it’s not an option. It’s an assignment. Move into it. You won’t regret it. Even if you “fail,” God has a purpose for it. But remember, brother, failure is a temporary state in light of His eternal Kingdom.
Father, help me take the first step—today—to activate the dream You’ve placed inside me. I choose to risk rather than play it safe. Guide me, help me, and sustain me. In Jesus’ name, amen.