Healthy Risk (2)

What's a healthy risk?  When would it be good to risk?

In the Bible, we are given examples of positive consequences that resulted when Godly people took healthy risks:  “By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.”  (Hebrews 11:33-34 NLT).

Jesus set the example.  He risked everything for us.  He left heaven which rendered all glory and worship to Him and came to earth to people who totally misunderstood him, ridiculed him and ultimately killed him.  On the cross He experienced abandonment, suffering, and death because he knew the penalty for sin was what He came to pay.  The Lord of life risked death because he knew His Father in heaven had given Him the power of resurrection from the dead.  Only Jesus’ death and resurrection could open the way of everlasting life and relationship with His Father for us.  This was a risk worth taking.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.  (1 Peter 3:18 NKJV)

Many of Jesus’ followers, whose stories we read in the Bible, were witnesses of His life and death and were convinced He was the Son of God as He claimed to be.  They risked their lives for that truth and many were martyred because they shared that truth with people of their time. They had come to witness the authentic life of Jesus and been filled with the power of God's Holy Spirit.  They were willing to risk and trust what they believed even when others around them challenged their beliefs and lifestyle.

It’s a risk to give up control of one’s life and way of doing things and hand them over to Jesus Christ.  It’s a risk to believe He can and will heal all our pain.  It’s a risk to trust that this new way of living for Him will give us deeper satisfaction and meaning than we have ever experienced.  It’s a risk to follow God’s principles when we don’t feel like it and/or have not yet proven that they work.  Many healthy and faithful people stand as witnesses to the truth that these risks are worth taking and that God is who He says He is, and will do what He has promised.  Are we willing to take this risk of faith and stand in this truth today and for a lifetime?

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