On Taking Risks

So far, this year has been a year of risks.

* Took a risk and went on a first date.
* Took a risk and submitted a very informal paper for a rather formal professor.
* Took a risk and entered a real dating relationship.
* Took a risk and confronted a friend about something that was bothering me.
* Took a risk and brought some significant issues to the attention of the MDiv program director.
* Took a risk and finally told my Dad that my boyfriend is Arabic. (It seems to have gone well! *keeping my fingers crossed*!)
* Took a risk and decided to let my life be sane; that is, I gave up being anxious, stressed, preoccupied, and perfectionistic. If I'm tired, I go to bed, even if my homework is not done. I finally decided I'm not going to let grades dictate my life! Really, what this amounts to is that I took a risk and decided I have to stop hiding behind my work and start connecting.

I've discovered that God can only work the good stuff when we're willing to step out of our comfort zones. Consider the following:

from UnLearning Church

"Am I willing to leave the status quo and fearlessly step into God's promising but unknown future?"

"When you begin to sense in your heart that Jesus Christ is continually with you, then you can risk and step out to obey God in new and adventurous ways."

"Peter wasn't a failure because he looked down and began to sink. If anyone failed, it was the eleven who stayed in the boat, waiting to see if it could be done."

"You will never be who God created you to be if you hang out where it is safe and predictable."

"We don't grow where we're comfortable."

"God wants to create a passionate tension, a holy discomfort in our lives."

"Where do we grow? In places of tension, in places of conflict, and in places of discomfort -- it is in those places that we begin to ask stretching kinds of questions again. Otherwise we form little comfortable gods in our own image and we follow and believe a nice, safe, tame Jesus."

"Lord, this is kind of scary, but I want you to take me to the next level."

"Radical prayer is boldly risking forward."

"In Gethsemane, Jesus didn't pray, "God, please make this as painless as possible." His prayer was, "This is going to cost me everything." Am I willing to follow in His footsteps?"

"Life is about what we are willing to give up for the kingdom of God. You have to lose life to find it. The amount you're willing to give up for God determines the impact you'll have for God's purpose."

That being said, there are still a lot more risks to take. Here's a list that I haven't gotten the guts to do yet:

* Tell my Dad I'm going to Israel in June.
* Buy my plane ticket and actually go to Israel in June despite security threats involved.
* Being really really vulnerable with others.
* Taking the plunge of committing to another person for life. (Hopefully this one is in my future... but not for a little while yet!)

Scripture Passages of the Week:

Exodus 14 - whole chapter, but esp. v. 10-14
Daniel 3