A Risk is a Risk

Many times when we hear about risk our minds invariable go to spectacular chances we take such as jumping out of airplanes or dog-sled racing across frozen tundra.  As we have been talking a lot about taking risks for God, maybe then you think of smuggling Bibles into China or trekking into the jungles to share Jesus with unreached peoples.  These are all risks, spectacular risks.  

When faced with these risks, I don’t know that many of us would take them.  I think that’s a shame, not because we are not daring enough or crazy enough to try anything, but that we are hesitant to take risks that are right before us because we think they need to be something spectacular or even death-defying to be counted as significant.  The truth is that a risk is simply doing something where you are not sure of, but hopeful of a positive outcome.  Another way of saying this is stepping out of your comfort zone to do something.

With this in mind I want to share with you a risk I witnessed this week.  On Monday, I went to our local super market and witnessed one of our church members stepping out of her comfort zone in her relationship with Jesus.  Her risk was not necessarily spectacular or death defying, but it was significant.

As we are approaching Easter, we made up invitation cards that we handed out at church.  We encouraged Joy Community Fellowship to invite someone to church on Easter.  This is what this precious risk-taker was doing Monday, only she was not passing out the cards but sheets of paper.  You see, we had run out of invitations this Sunday so she went out and had copies of her one remaining invitation so that she could continue inviting friends and neighbors to hear the Gospel on Sunday.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and into the adventure that God has for us does not always mean taking extraordinary risks or putting our lives on the line.  Most times God calls us to risk being faithful, being known as His to those around us.  This kind of risk may not get you on the cover of magazines or even celebrated by others, but I believe that this kind of risk is what Jesus uses to most powerfully impact our friends, families and communities through us.

Take a risk this week, don’t worry if it seems simple or unspectacular as it may just be just the risk that God uses to make a significant difference in the lives of those around us.