completely unsafe!
The drunk driver that changes our lives
forever, the medical test giving us bad
news, the wildfire that sweeps through
our community, the layoffs that come
as a complete surprise. You can do
everything right, buy all the insurance,
take all the precautions … but still not
be safe.
We need to learn to take Kingdom
risks. Not stupid risks, like throwing
a pack of firecrackers onto a Formica
topped desk in your buddy’s dorm room
while he was sleeping, not realizing
the slick desk top would cause the
explosion to happen on his pillow (not
that I admit to doing this, but, um,
sorry Ron). I’m talking about decisions
to attempt something on behalf of
God. Something in line with the Great
Commandment, the Golden Rule, and
the Great Commission. Want a good
place to start? Try loving your actual
neighbor—that’s pretty risky! Or maybe
the homeless guy you look away from
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16 • Solutions
on your way to work . . . or the person
at your church who votes for the other
party . . . or the immigrant who cannot
speak your language.
It isn’t going to go perfectly every
time, which is why we need to keep on
doing it. Failure hurts, but failure also
teaches—not just life lessons, but true
dependence on God. I love the stories
in Luke when Jesus repeats in so many
words, “Why are you afraid? Have
faith.” He sends out the twelve with the
mandate to live by faith. He casually
calms the storm while asking the
disciples where their faith is. He tells
Jairus not to be afraid, but to believe.
Over and over Jesus encourages the
idea of living by faith, not fear.
Real life, joyful life, meaningful life,
happens when we run the risk of
failure. In fact, we must fail sometimes
or we will never learn to truly succeed.
Love, joy, and peace. Patience and
kindness. Goodness, faithfulness, and
self-control. All that stuff is risky . .
. and it’s all the fruit of a life lived in
It isn’t going to go perfectly
every time, which is why we
need to keep on doing it.