It’s NEVER Too Risky If It’s For God!

Hey guys.

Last week we talked all about understating Risk VS Reward.

And we even made a list of some of the risks that we take daily.

Did you do it?

If not, why not?

I’ve got time, go do it right now. Because you are going to add to it this week as we talk about identifying the actual risk that is associated with risk.

Wow that was a confusing sentence, wasn’t it?

Anyways.

Let’s start with identifying what risk is, shall we?

Webster defines risk as a situation involving exposure to danger.

WOW, what a profound definition, NOT!

Here is my definition of risk, anything that you do that could cause you harm, socially, mentally, personally, or financially. (much better than websters. Lol)

A lot of times we try tooooo hard to identify the actual risk.

Instead today I really want you to work on simplifying what the risk is.

To do that I’d like to look at one person who is talked about in the bible.

Let’s see who took risks in the bible that we could use to simplify what risk is.

Well God took a risk when he created the heavens and the earth.

Adam took a risk when he named the animals.

Eve took a risk when she ate the apple (all of our suffering today is really all her fault. Just kidding)

Jonah took a risk when he went overboard on the ship.

Jacob took a risk when he worked for Rebecca’s father for 14 years in order to get her.

Noah took a risk when he built the ark.

Job took a risk when he refused to abandon God.

Joseph took a risk when he interpreted the pharaoh’s dreams

Moses took a risk when he talked to the pharaoh.

Daniel took a risk when he prayed.

Jesus took a risk when we healed anyone, or walked on water, or turned water into wine, or

Ruth took a risk when she lay down at the mill owner’s feet.

I guess the bible only has ONE story about someone who took a risk, NOT!!!!!

The bible is full of people who took risks.

See how quick it was to interpret and summarize their risk?

One thing I want you to know is that the risks I named were not their only risk though.

Let’s dive deeper into one story though.

When David met Goliath he risked everything in the name of God.

I want to encourage you to read all of 1 Samuel chapter 17. This time when you read it look at the risks that David took.

  1.   He went to the front of the battle
  2.   He defied his brothers
  3.  He tried on armor that didn’t fit and chose to go with no armor at all
  4.   He chose 5 smooth stones to go up against a giant
  5.   He took insult after insult from (I am sure not only the other side but his own side too)
  6.   He was young
  7.   He didn’t really think it over.
  8. Etc.

The list goes on and on.

But what the chapter breezes over is the reward. And there is a TON of rewards that aren’t even mentioned in the writing.

Next week we will go deeper into the rewards of this particular story.

What I want you to think about as you read this chapter is ALL of the risks that David took. Without even thinking of the rewards that would come with it.

He took risks to save his people and to glorify GOD. Mostly to glorify God.

Are you willing to take risks that glorify God?

Take Action

Remember that list you made last week. It’s time to add to it.

This week I want you to identify the actual risks that go with daily risks from last week.

Don’t overthink it.

Keep it simple and DOT IT NOW!

Keep the list because next week we are going to be adding even more to it.

DO IT NOW!!!!!!

Prayer

Lord, today we come to you with scared hearts. We know that taking risks is HARD. We know that it is not easy to risk anything, let alone everything as David did. God, you are amazing though. You give us the strength to risk everything and we do not even know that it is a risk until you have already delivered our reward.

You are so amazing in blinding us to some of the major risks that we have taken. They say that love is blind, and I am glad for that because marriage and kids are HUGE risks that we all take. But we trust that you will guide us through it as smoothly as possible.

God, we also know that sometimes we get caught up in the risk instead of looking forward to the reward. Or the reward that we see is not a godly reward, but a worldly reward. I pray that you help each of us to look and see the godly rewards that await every risk that we take.

Help us to be like David, and blindly follow you wherever you may lead us.

We ask all these things in your precious son’s name.

Amen.

A Little More

While I really wanted to write a story the last 2 weeks I was guided to be 100% real and vulnerable and to share my list of risks with you.

So here they are.

  • Not setting an alarm in the morning
    • I could miss an appointment
    • I could never wake up
    • I could miss something important 
  • Having kids
    • I could lose my wife during the pregnancy
    • I could lose a child
    • I could raise them wrong
    • I could mess up majorly and not be a good parent
    • I could never give them any experiences
    • I could yell too much
  • Getting married
    • We could get a divorce
    • We could have kids then it not work out
    • I could have married the wrong person
    • We could fight too much
    • We could not be happy
  • Choosing to start a business
    • It could fail
    • We might not provide a GREAT service
    • It could take me away from God
    • I could be a bad leader
    • I could get caught up in worldly things
  • Continuing to run a business every day
    • It could fail
    • We might not provide a GREAT service
    • It could take me away from God
    • I could be a bad leader
    • I could get caught up in worldly things
  • Choosing to start a Non-Profit
    • I could not be following God’s plan
    • It could distract me from the business
    • It could cause a rift in my marriage
  • The people we hire for our business
    • They could be the wrong person
    • They could leave a good job for one that is not a good fit for them
    • They might not work hard enough for my standards
    • My standards might be too high
  • Making social media posts
    • People could have negative comments
    • I could make a typo
    • People might not follow me
  • Having a verse on the bottom of my work email
    • It could scare away clients
    • It is very vulnerable for a business
  • Every meeting that I schedule
    • It could fail
    • I could say the wrong thing
    • I could aggravate the other person
    • I could miss the meeting
  • Scheduling trips (business and family)
    • They could give away my rental car
    • The flight could go down
    • We could get in a crash
    • They could not show up
  • Flying
    • I could crash
    • I could die
    • The landing gear might get stuck in the up position
  • Driving
    • Get in an accident
    • Run out of fuel
    • Die
    • Get stuck
    • The car could break down
  • Swimming in the ocean
    • Get eaten by a fish
    • Drown
    • Get pulled out to sea
  • Running on the road
    • Get hit by a car
    • Fall down and get hurt
  • Playing with the kids
    • They could hurt me (have you seen my kids? They are HUGE!)
    • I could hurt my back
    • I could hurt them
  • Riding 4-wheelers
    • Get in a wreck
    • Run out of gas
  • Camping
    • Get eaten by a bear
    • Run out of food
    • Get stuck
    • Not sleep well
  • Trying to sell anything
    • It might not sell
    • Get embarrassed for selling it
  • Getting new clients
    • They could reject me
    • They might not like our service
    • They could talk about us
  • Going to bed
    • Not wake up
    • Miss out on something fun and exciting
  • Eating
    • Choke on it
    • Have an allergic reaction
    • Get fat
  • Cooking
    • get burned
    • Not cook it enough and get sick
    • Get others sick from my cooking
  • Eating out
    • Not tip enough
    • Not get enough food
    • Not order the right thing
  • Walking (anywhere)
    • Trip and fall
    • Get run over
  • Fueling up my vehicle
    • Blow up
    • Spill fuel everywhere
  • Raising our kids
    • So many things to list here I’m not even sure where to start
  • Talking to my wife
    • Say the wrong thing
    • Say the right thing at the wrong time
    • Not say anything
  • Talking to clients
    • Say the wrong thing
    • Say the right thing at the wrong time
    • Not say anything
  • Talking to employees
    • Say the wrong thing
    • Say the right thing at the wrong time
    • Not say anything
  • Pretty much talking to anyone
    • Say the wrong thing
    • Say the right thing at the wrong time
    • Not say anything
  • Planning trips (a big risk that’s why it’s here 2 times)
    • The trip could fall through
    • Travel might get postponed
    • Weather might change
  • Visiting national parks
    • Get eaten by a bear
    • Get gored by a buffalo
    • Get lost
  • Playing in the mountains
    • Get lost
    • Get stuck
  • Dreaming big
    • Not accomplish my dream
    • People laugh at me for my dreams
  • Setting goals
    • Never achieve them
    • Not make it to the end
  • Growing our business
    • It could fail
    • It might not grow as fast as I’d like
  • Reading the bible
    • Get a paper cut
  • Listening to a book while I drive
    • Not 100% focused on the road (see driving)
  • Publishing content (any platform)
    • People might not like it
    • They could be negative in comments and posts
  • Making personal social media posts
    • People could track me down and harm my family
  • Buying anything
    • It might not get delivered
    • Not have enough $$ for what’s really important
  • Going to the store
    • Get mugged
    • Get into an accident
    • Buy things I don’t need
  • Using my computer
    • Make my vision bad
    • Get burned by the hot laptop
  • Sending out emails
    • Say the wrong thing
    • Say the right thing at the wrong time
    • Miss and attachment
    • Send it to the wrong person
  • Working out
    • Hurt myself
  • Drinking coffee
    • Bet burned
  • Drinking water
    • drown
  • Pretty much everything in my life!!!!