RISK

My middle name could be Safe.

I don’t have a thrill-seeking bone in my body. I’m a habit girl. Why try something new when you can do exactly the same thing you’ve always done and it’s worked all this time? 

At restaurants, I always order the same thing. Why try something new? What if I don’t like it?

Why risk?

Right? Is there anyone else out there? Actually, no sense in asking you to speak up, you’re playing it safe and staying quiet. *smile*

When I talk to various friends, I love hearing the “words” they’ve chosen (or been given, by God’s Spirit) to be the theme of their year. I’ve heard TRUTH. (Yes! That’s awesome.) I’ve heard FREEDOM. (Woohoo!) I’ve heard LIGHT. (Great!)

My word? The one I keep hearing. The one that won’t go away. The one that echoes in my prayers and pops up everywhere I turn?

RISK.

Say, what?!

That doesn’t seem like a very churchy word at all. There’s no “blessed are the risk-takers” verse.

RISK.

But there it is, and there’s no denying that is my word for the year, no matter how hard I try to make it something else. But here’s what a love about it — you’ve probably figured out, it’s really the same thing as FAITH. Faith is plenty church-sounding. Without faith it’s impossible to please God. Our faith is the most real thing about us, it’s the core of who we are. The essence of growing in our walk with Jesus is growing in faith.

But you know what real faith requires?

RISK!

Scared-out-of-my-pants, God-better-show-up, how’s-this-gonna-work-out faith.

All real faith requires risk. Without risk there’s no faith.  Right?!

• What if I pray for the person and she’s not healed? 
• What if I give sacrificially and I don’t have enough money for my needs?
• What if I embark on this faith-venture and it flops?
• What if I speak the truth and the person rejects me?
• What if I choose this hard road and I can’t handle it?
• What if I fail?

All steps (or leaps!) of faith require risk.

I’m only a little ways in, but I have a feeling I already know what my favorite book of 2016 is going to be. Do What Jesus Did by Robby Dawkins is BLOWING MY MIND.  It’s like I’m reading the answer to my heart’s cry. It’s like someone is sitting down next to me and speaking directly to my heart, fanning flames into a blazing passion, encouraging dreams I’ve always thought were too far-fetched, speaking truth where I’ve become disheartened, pointing to our great God where I’ve gotten my eyes on other things. Yes, Lord! It’s that good.

And over and over and over I see it: RISK. 

I’m not talking stupid risk, selfish risk, worldly risk. This isn’t the stuff of casinos and scratch-its. This isn’t living in isolation and refusing the sound wisdom of trusted counselors. That’s foolishness.

This is that risk that resonates with the mission of God. The stuff of Noah (a BOAT?!), of Abraham (Where exactly?), of Moses (Say what to Pharoah?!), the disciples (Feed 5,000 with a boy’s sack lunch?!), of countless others who have gone before us taking risks that we can’t even imagine.

All for the glory of God and furthering of His kingdom. 

The Bible is full of risk.

Are our lives?

This year, my aim: RISK for the glory of God. 

 {Where is God calling you to risk, for His glory? Thank you for reading.}