Courage and Risk Taking 6

Photo Credit: Lane Smith

On Monday, 7th May, as I researched our theme for the month, I came across a powerful teaching, which I promised to share with you. We will be learning about the application of a major ingredient recurring in our text —  Joshua 1 — and that ingredient is courage. To take risk you will require courage and not just that, you will need to be “very courageous.” And what’s more, it is a command from God. Our God instructs us to be Bold and very Courageous! Be ye transformed as you read. Amen.

"Risk is not recklessness"

One businessman put it this way; having the faith to attempt something new or different even though it might be hard or lead to failure maintains that risk is not recklessness. Recklessness involves little or no forethought. In contrast those who take risks are aware that they face enormous obstacles to achievement yet the rewards seem well worth the effort. Reality is that there are going to be risks involved in any real venture and something that’s going to require some endeavor.

Donald Rumsfield years ago said, “ Success tends to go not to the person who is error free because he also tends to be risk adverse rather it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage basis. It isn’t making mistakes that is critical, it’s correcting them and getting on with the principle task.” Babe Ruth, the strike out king, was required to take risks to make mistakes in order to do as well as he did. The fact is that we make mistakes; that we take risks but they’re calculated risks. We make adjustments, we learn from our errors; we learn from our mistakes and we go on from there.

As we have all admitted in this room, we typically learn a great deal more from our mistakes any way than we do from our successes. They teach us more about ourselves, more about reality in any case. That pain often does that. So, as I evaluate these thoughts then as I cultivate your leadership skills, don’t be afraid to take those calculated risks and understand that actually if you commit your ways to God, your business, your endeavors, your family, wherever you are at the end of the day you’re going to at least be putting everything based upon the promises and commitments of God.

There’s no assurance that He’ll bail us out of the mistakes we’ve made in this life, there will be consequences to foolish mistakes but at least we have the assurance that He is with us and can even redeem the falling. He can take that and He can transform that and make it the substance of our own growth. — Dr. Ken Boa

My Commentary:

I am reminded about the darkest period of my life in my christian walk with the Lord. It is the year 2000, in my 1st year at the university. I was a fervent member of a certain fellowship and was rising really quickly high up the ladder of leadership when I received a clear word from the Lord to leave. As soon as I was certain of what the Lord wanted me to do, I left. I met with the student pastor and explained that I would no longer be a part of the fellowship. That the Lord would have me leave. Of course, she didn’t understand it. After I stopped attending meetings and it was clear that I was no longer a member. something happened that I would never forget. The leader of the fellowship made an announcement to all the members instructing them to “stay away from Bukkie Allison. She is leprous!” And then I was suddenly alone.

All the friends and associations I had as a freshman on campus were members of that fellowship. But I was doomed to suffer estrangement and alienation because I chose to obey God. Everything about the status quo was too good to the eyes; the fellowship grew in leaps and bounds, “souls I’d won to Christ” had become prominent leaders in the fellowship, there were all kinds of great things happening. Yet here I was saying God had asked me to leave. Sometimes I felt shame, confusion, frustration. I was a teenager, a freshman, I had no family relations on campus nor in the city, and apart from a few trusted friends, all I had was the word of God, which I’d heard. I never doubted it. It was the only sure thing in my life and I never doubted for once that I had heard God.

Fast forward 18 years later and the word of God remains the only constant thing in my life. A constant disruptor too. This minute everything is perfect and then God shows up and says, “Rise up, pack your tent and go to a city that I will show you…” One of the best things that can ever happen to a believer is being able to hear the voice of God [for yourself]. To know that the Lord is speaking or that the Lord has spoken is the greatest thing ever that could happen to anyone. For the Word is Life. Breath. And it is our duty to know what the Lord is saying. It is our duty to desire His Word and His Voice. His Ways and His Works.

In seeking His kingdom and His righteousness, a measure of risk awaits us daily. And only those who endure till the end shall be saved. It is my prayer that you are able to discern the Lord’s voice when He comes to you. In the wake of the month of May 2018, my heart pulsated with the knowing of a certain command from God to me. And I knew exactly what the Lord will have me do. He had brought yet another season in my life to an abrupt close and He is not allowing me to transition unnoticed into the next season. Instead He is speaking to me about taking a stand, about boldness, about courage; about solitude in God over popularity with men. About not being a crowd follower, but rather a God follower.

Every day since His Word reached me with clarity, I have pondered the instruction of God and it scares the life out of me. But I choose obedience over what’s convenient. I choose right standing with God than an agreeable stance with men. I will rather be at peace with God and be rejected by men rather than to be at peace with men & their traditions, and then be rejected by God. God forbid! When He comes to you, may you find the courage to not just say, “Speak Lord. Thy servant listeneth,” but also to say, “YES LORD! I WILL GO.” Amen.