Risky
Business
But
God… why can’t
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I keep doing things
the same way?
Dan McGrechan, WA State Director, considers why
taking risks is just part and parcel of following Jesus.
I am reading The Lord of the Rings But the truth is, I am rarely as
again. You might remember that courageous as Frodo. I prefer to be
Frodo comes into possession of comfortable and do things in tried
a powerful ring. Frodo comes to and tested ways. Taking risks feels,
realise that he must leave home and well, risky.
embark on a dangerous journey to
destroy the ring and save Middle
Earth. This is completely beyond
his life experience to that point and
unlike anything he had ever done
before. Frodo’s courage inspires me.
He risks everything to set out on a
dangerous path with an unknown
ending. He risks everything to play
his part in the bigger story taking
Jesus followed God to death on the
cross, praying, “not what I will, but
what you will” (Mark 14:32-42).
What happens when we trust
God with the outcome and take a
risk? God delights to show us that
He is “...able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine,
I believe that God’s pattern is to according to his power that is at
ask us, His people, to take risks work within us” Ephesians 3:20.
because it leads us to trust Him. Sometimes the outcome may not
When we do not know what will be what we hoped, but we have
happen, we pray and trust God with confidence “...that in all things
the outcome. God works for the good of those
We see this pattern throughout
the Bible narrative. “By faith
Abraham, when called to go to a
who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose”
Romans 8:28.
place he would later receive as his When we take risks with Jesus on
inheritance, obeyed and went, even mission, we often see that He is
This is how I want to live my though he did not know where he already there working in the lives
life. I want to risk everything to was going.” Hebrews 11:8. Peter of others. We are never alone. He
join with Jesus as He builds his stepped out from the boat and might be asking us to do things
Kingdom on earth. walked on water with Jesus, until that are new to us and to break
his faith failed him, and he began to out of what we know… but we can
sink (Matthew 14:22-33). trust in His guidance because He
place around him.
does know.
resonate
· issue 32 · page 6