Yesterday I was teaching an enthusiastic group at Prestonwood in Plano and was talking about joyously reaching out worldwide with all the right motives. I was talking about first investing some time in praying for others, for biblical revival and spiritual awakening. Can you think of what this world needs more than that? Christian mission efforts can be pretty risky–but hey, if you and I obey the Lord.. it’s always, Always, ALWAYS a smart risk to take! Yes, always–we can trust God’s word daily directing us. He said He’d never ever bail out–never leave us or forsake us.
Risk.. that word alone to many people has kind of a negative feel to it, but that’s not always the case. Risks can be so good at times. I know many people have been been burned before with risk-taking. You know there are wise risks and unwise risks. I dare you to inquire of the Lord first and then to take the good risks He leads you to take!
There are plenty of times when taking risks can be a good thing. A more biblical way of talking about risk is using the phrase “to step out in faith.” It is something that can really change someone. When you take a risk for the Lord, it means you are going out of your way to obey God’s word.
Wise or Positive Risks…
Proverbs 3:5, 6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
2 Kings 7:3-11 a must check out kinda passage.. “Why sit we here until we die?If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die here. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.”
Numbers 13:30 “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’"
Joshua 14:12 A book about wise risk-taking. Check it out, in faith Caleb said,“Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.“
Matthew 6:34 "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Mark 8:34, 35 “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
Ephesians 5:15-17 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
Yes, as the Lord leads you…
Mark 16:13-16 says, “Later as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned..’”
Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Unwise or Negative Risks…
Psalm 131:1 This is a prayer about risk-taking. I got this job offer once. I would have have hanging..literally from iron bars hundreds of feet in the air to do it. After praying about it, I was ready to go for it paid a whole lot, but I felt like the Lord told me No Kurt, I don’t want you doing this one. I hope I heard right. Anyway, it says, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”
Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
Matthew 6:26, 27 “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” Worry, passivity, procrastination–too risky.
Mark 8:36, 37 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Why go after the whole world and be left with hands full of ashes?
Luke 12:40 “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Get right in the light, so you won’t be left outside in the dark. Today..now.. is better than tomorrow. Now.
