Are you a risk taker? Some people would tell you not to ever take a risk, because it’s risky! Play it safe would be their motto.

Taking risks is not always a smart thing to do. But if you were to talk to any successful person in any field, no doubt they would tell you about some time in their life when they took a risk. They exposed themselves to failure and maybe even ridicule, but that’s what it took for them to be successful.

As we live our lives for Jesus, there will be times when we need to take a risk, move out of our comfort zones, attempt something that looks difficult, and even run the possibility of failing. For example, maybe God has been prompting you to share your faith with a coworker, but you’ve been reluctant to do so because it’s risky. You think: That coworker may react negatively, or I may botch it and say all the wrong things, or maybe it’s against the law to share my faith on the job! And so fear keeps you from taking the risk.

Have you ever thought about how many times you’ve missed out on so much of what God wants you to do and the blessings that come when you obey, simply because you were not willing to take a risk? Obviously, you should always proceed with prayer and caution, but if you’re afraid of any risk, you will simply never do all the good things God has put you here to do. You’ll miss so much of God’s blessing in your life.

In his insightful booklet, Risk Is Right, John Piper says his aim is to explode the myth of safety and deliver us from the enchantment of security, because it’s a mirage. It doesn’t exist. None of us know what the next moment holds, not to mention tomorrow. God never takes any risks because he knows the end from the beginning. We don’t know the end, and God doesn’t tell us. He intends for us to live by faith not by sight, and so our lives are risky.[1]

Fear of risks keeps many of us paralyzed. Bonhoeffer wrote: “To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love.”[2]

I’m exploring people in the Bible who took great risks, and I hope you’ll be inspired to step out on faith and take whatever risks you need to in order to follow Christ and his plans for you.

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[1] Piper, J. (2013). Risk Is Right. Crossway.

[2] Eric Metaxas. (2010). Bonhoeffer : Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Thomas Nelson.