A thought by Kyle Idleman from his
book, Don't Give Up (p. 29). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click
on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
But you like to play it safe. Maybe, that is what you think you are doing.
But Kyle says, “There are no great
stories of a faith that was risk-free. Risk-dodging can be a way of giving up
before the journey even begins. Yet there’s a hidden irony: playing it safe
turns out to be the greatest risk you can take. The lives of the faith heroes
tell us that.
“Larry Laudan, a philosopher of
science, has spent the last decade studying risk management. He writes of how
we live in a society so fear-driven that we suffer from what he calls ‘risk-lock,’
a condition like gridlock that leaves us unable to do anything or go anywhere.
He has concluded that, as much as we try and avoid risks, the truth is that everything involves risk. ‘Risk-free’ is a myth.”
Kyle goes on, “No matter where you go
or how safe you play it, risk is waiting for you. My recliner at home carries
certain health hazards. My remote control has doubled, at times, as a dangerous
weapon. Sometimes I sense God calling me out of the house, but reclining and
flipping through channels, usually over a bowl of Apple Jacks, keeps me glued
to my seat. God has called me to be a husband, father, and pastor, yet I could
waste a lot of time vegging out in front of the TV screen. That’s a risk I face
on a daily basis.
“Giving up and giving in to the
temptation to check out of my responsibilities is the most dangerous risk of
all. Funny how it seems so safe . . .
“Abraham (in the OT of the Bible)
planned on a low-risk future—kicking up his feet in Harran; living the way his
father did, and his father before him; having no particular god who made
demands. But faith doesn’t tend to be sedentary. It’s always sending us
somewhere.”
Then Kyle says, “Here are the
questions I find myself wrestling with: Am I following God in a way that
requires faith? Do I do anything at all in my life that requires courage and
confidence?
“Let me direct those same questions to
you. Instead of asking if you have given up or quit, let me ask if you are
doing anything in your life that requires courage and confidence. If your
answer is yes, then I have a follow-up question for you: Can you tell me a
story?”
He continues, “A story of faith is
almost always a ‘don’t give up’ story of perseverance. A story of pushing
through and refusing to put the puzzle away even when the picture isn’t clear.
The tendency is to feel sorry for ourselves and to dwell on our unfair
circumstances. But faith that doesn’t quit means taking action and moving
forward. It’s a determination to act on what needs to happen rather than
dwelling on how something happened. Like Abraham’s story, all stories of faith
reach an intersection where a decision must be made between staying put and
playing it safe or taking a risk and moving forward. Can you tell me a story
about a time in your life when you found yourself at the intersection and kept
going?”
So, will you take action and move forward? Will you?
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