Should I risk it?

I don't know about you, but as a kid I had a belief that I could do anything... even miraculous things. I so resonated with that commercial where the little kid dresses like Darth Vader, thinking that he can magically open doors (but really, they're just the automatic ones). I love this about kids. They haven't had the wind knocked out of them, or broken any bones yet... they haven't been told they couldn't do things and so they charge into life with excitement and vigor.

My dad used to frequently tell me that I was notoriously "too big for my own britches"... I had no idea or concept that I couldn't do absolutely anything that anyone else around me could do. It didn't matter how little I was, or how uneducated, or inexperienced I may have been. I remember one time he let me play on our church competitive softball team with all the dads. I was seven. Honestly, kudos to him for empowering me (that's a major testament to the kind of man he is)... but my mind couldn't fathom why on earth they thought they should move up-field for me when it came time for me to go to bat. I was under the impression that I could do whatever my Dad did! I was fully expecting to hit a home run. I didn't. But I did get myself on base a few times!

Sometimes it worked out, and sometimes... not so much. One time, specifically, I remember watching a cartoon where one of the characters slid down the bannister on his feet. I thought to myself... "that looks fun. I can totally do that!" So of course I did what any logical self-respecting kid would do... tried it for myself! Of course, I wasn't thinking about the fact that not all bannisters are the same, and that the ones that are up against a wall with a tiny 3 inch wide hand rail were VERY different from much wider, freestanding ones the one I saw in the cartoon. I’m sure you can guess how that ended up... 2 flights of stairs and a broken collarbone later, I had my first big wakeup call! This strange affliction followed me all the way into my teen years, and shockingly, there were a few times it worked out pretty well in my favor.

But somewhere along the way, as an adult, I went the opposite direction. I suppose this happens to a lot of us. Whether we experience something traumatic like a devastating loss like a breakup or financial devastation, or maybe a disappointment so stark that it shattered your hope... many of us translated that into the idea that taking risks, isn't worth it.

We pick up the idea that somehow we would be safe from experiencing pain again if we stopped taking risks. Personally, I had some truly deeply disappointing experiences...the kind that are much more serious than just failing at sports or stunts. The kind that cut deep into your soul, and make you question who you think you are to dream big dreams or hope for better things.

Although everyone has to learn by trial and error, God’s intent was never for us to stop taking risks. The goal is always for us to learn and grow, not quit altogether. So my hope is really for us to re-frame how we see failure. To not see failure as an ending or an identity, but as something much more positive... Every failure is an opportunity to build strength and improve, like dumbbell for building muscle.

Think of it as an exercise in learning the KIND of risks that pay off, and how to avoid the ones that were, as Dave Ramsey says, "stupid tax."

All throughout scripture there are stories of how God desired to show grace and mercy when His people were humble enough to admit when they got in to situations where they might've been a little too big for their britches. The lesson God so often provides is that when it's HIM asking you to do it... when it lines up with His agenda, the risk is always worth it.

I think of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17-19. Living under a regime that actively sought to execute people of his profession, he took a massive risk to his own life in order to advocate for his own people. He marched straight into the presence of the King (Ahab) who was trying to kill him, and offered him a deal: let him prove that His God was real, and in return asked that they stop persecuting the priests. Miraculously, he agreed. God came through, answering Elijah's audacious request (the story must be read to be believed... check it out in 1 Kings 18:17-39)!

Taking a risk for the good of others is always a good start.

Can you imagine?! What a RUSH! He had just experienced the highest high of all time- and taken the biggest risk of his life! But not more than moment later... he does something interesting. He decides to take revenge on the prophets of Baal, and kills all 450 of them. Notice... God did NOT tell Him to do this. This of course did not sit well with the queen who had appointed them.

Here's the thing... he took a risk in killing those prophets because he got cocky. Initially, it was a success! But on the backend, he ticked off the Queen. Not a particularly safe place to be. Now, he's got a bounty on his head. So... he runs and hides.

Exhausted from running, and fearing for his life, He cries out to God with regret. The moment right after the big wins, when we're vulnerable, emotional and exhausted is the moment we most need to stop and re-assess. It's NOT the moment to jump into another big decision. To take another risk out of vanity. Luckily for Elijah, God was patient and kind enough to restore him.

1 Kings 19: 4-8 "⁴ But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” ⁵ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” ⁶ And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. ⁷ And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” ⁸ And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God."

I have a theory: I think that Elijah actually unnecessarily exhausted himself because he made a decision outside of God's direction. Rather than stopping, he rushed right into emotional decision that caused dire consequences.

I can't prove that. But I do wonder how things might've been different if he had. Here's the thing: whenever we take big risks, resistance WILL find you. The question is, are we prepared for it?

Resistance always comes to those who are willing to step out from the norm.

So make your move, prepare for the backlash, but make a decisive plan to regroup. Anyone who wants to take the uncharted path needs to know that it's part of the process to experience pain, backlash and rejection. But it's a little easier if you prepare knowing that it's coming, and you're patient enough to wait for God's direction.

If you want to see a long term change for the future, know that it's not a one-and-done moment- it's going to take a series of long haul risks and actions. Elijah hadn't emotionally prepared himself, and it nearly took him out.

It's imperative that you don't make big decisions when you're feeling low, or motivated by fear. Recoup, heal and wait for God to guide your next step.

And also... maybe try a few LITTLE ones in between your big ones... it could be the difference between falling down a hill or falling off a cliff.

I'm not God, but my goal is to help others heal so that they can get back up again. I want to see you do what you were really put on this earth to do, and enjoy it in the process. I want to encourage you to get back in the habit of risking as much as you did when you were a kid once more- with God's guidance. It's ok to fall down as long as you don't stay down, making your pit your forever home.

God has a HOPE and a FUTURE for us, and it doesn’t end because of one little, or even one HUGE setback. Or even one hundred huge set-backs. If there's breath in your lungs, God's not done with you yet. So, what have you got to gain? Let's be experts at risking until we get it right. Sometimes you have to take a moment to remind yourself WHOSE you are. When you know the God who’s living inside of you, risking doesn’t seem so risky.

Romans 8:28 (NLT) " And we know that God causes everything to work together^[m]for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."