Unless there is the element of extreme risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith. This is a well known quote from Hudson Taylor. I get frustrated with the American church and myself as well that we risk so little. The older I get the less I want to risk. Missionary Biographies are great reads for inspiring radical acts of faith. Maybe I need to do a series on Radical Exploits for God! What do you think? But is risk taking really risky?
If we truly believe that God is sovereign, that nothings escapes his care and control then there is really no such thing as risk in the Christian life. I am not encouraging recklessness (that is not an issue for most Christ followers) but I am encouraging us to really believe that because God is sovereign - over history, over economies, over atoms and molecules, over our lives and our very breathe, then there is great freedom to take radical acts of faith!
How could the world be different if you doubled your giving to the cause of Christ? Or if you gave up your job to pursue missions for a year or two? What if all of us sold everything we have not touched in the last year and gave it to a good cause?
One of my children is considering missionary work in Yemen. Yemen of all places! I have had other fathers question me this 'plan.' I think it is awesome and am blessed that I have had a small part in shaping the life of a young Christ follower who understands Jesus' saying, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself (Luk 9:24-25). Or 'To live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1:21). The safety of each one of my four children are in the hands of God and they could as easily die in Alaska from exposure as they could from the hands of someone hostile to the gospel in Yemen. I would much rather all of them to live reckless lives for the cause of Christ and die early deaths than waste their lives in lukewarm Christianity and waste their lives with passionless living.
The common believer just have a hard time holding their head above the water, it is hard to get out of their own lives enough to see that their is another world out there. The best way to help yourself is by helping others. Encouraging people to help others is a good way to get started in this risk taking. That is a big risk for our self-centered society. Maybe people could do more exploits if they could just get started by helping one person.
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