Christian Living
Take a RISK for the Lord
By Glen Averill
(Author's note: I originally wrote this in Word and when I changed it to plain text, the formatting went crazy. I hope the reader can make it all out in this plain text format.)
David was a risk taker. He was barely more than a child when he went up against that Philistine giant, Goliath. Yet, if we could have read David’s mind when he met Goliath on the field of battle, I don’t think David would have thought it was a “risk.”
David did not doubt that he was standing there with the power and might and holiness of God beside him. David knew by faith that the Philistine, although tall in human stature, and clad in human armor, was no match for the living God.
But in another way, David was taking a risk that day. If we define risk the way I like to describe it, with the following RISK acronym:
* Rejoice in the Lord.
* Imagine God’s possibilities for you.
* Share the message.
* Keep it simple.
If taking a risk means all those things, then let’s be risk takers every day. After all, nothing ever seems to get done until people are willing to take a risk and get out of their comfort zone. That is true in business, and it is true in the rest of life.
Rejoice in the Lord
You may sometimes ask yourself, “What do I have to rejoice about?” Maybe you are ill or you have a loved one who is sick. Maybe you have a lot of debt. Perhaps you just lost your job. You could even be down and depressed and not know why you’re that way. But stop and look at the verse again!
Does it just say “rejoice” in an abstract and ambiguous way. Doesn’t the verse tell you to rejoice in something, or rather in someone?
Yes, it says to rejoice in the Lord. If you are simply trying to rejoice in general about life in this world, you truly don’t have much to rejoice about. But if you rejoice in the Lord, then you have found true joy.
Why is this so? There are many reasons, but the primary one is that you can always come to a holy, perfect, loving God who does not change. It may seem like the world is caving in around you, but one thing you can hold on to is that your God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You can always hold on to him and He is always holding on to you.
That is reason to rejoice, and to worship, and to bow down before Him.
As author and Christian leader, Gary Smalley, says in his book Joy That Lasts, if you look to anything in this world for your source of real joy, you will be disappointed. Even the person most dear to you can be gone in a moment. Your wealth can sprout wings and fly away. Your health can vanish, but your God won’t. He is always there. He loves you with an infinite love. That means you can never exhaust or use up His love for you. For all eternity, His love is set upon those who trust in Christ alone for justification.
Think of how pure and powerful is God’s love for His children. Nobody can separate God’s people from His love and grace. Rejoice Christian! He is “able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 24).
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit loves you, and He does not change. If you can’t find joy in that, nothing else will ever fill up your joy tank. You can rejoice in Him at all times because He is Who He is.
Imagine God’s Possibilities for You
Imagination can be a powerful tool, if it’s used correctly. If you set your mind to imagining vain and wicked things, you will certainly pay the price. The Bible clearly teaches that we reap what we sow.
So, why not sow good and holy things in your imagination. You’ve heard this a million times before if you’ve been a Christian for very long, but saturate your mind daily with God’s Word. Sowing that holy seed will bring a harvest of good, God-honoring results.
This is just a guess, but I believe David used some sanctified imagination to visualize just how his contest with Goliath would go. We do know from the text that he said the same God who had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, would also deliver him from this Philistine.
David could have thought back to how he had protected his flock many times with his sling and some stones. Goliath may have been bigger than any animal David had ever faced, but David knew the power of God, and he knew that God had a purpose in allowing him to hone his slinging skills all those years.
We serve the same powerful God that David did. We face different kinds of giants every day of our lives. We’ve already mentioned some of them above.
God used David in a mighty way. He will use you in a mighty way in His kingdom, if you step out in faith. Begin imagining what God would have you do and say in service to others.
You may already know what your spiritual gifts are and you probably know what talents and abilities God gave you. Start visualizing what God might have you do in the context of His Church, in your community, in the nation, in the world. It may not be a big thing in the world’s eyes. It may not even be a ‘so-called’ big thing in the church, but if it is serving God by helping others, it is a big thing in God’s eyes.
To the human mind, it’s baffling to think that God would use sinners like you and I to further His kingdom on earth, but that’s exactly what He’s chosen to do.
If you’re striving to be a godly husband and father, that’s a big thing. If you’re persevering as a godly wife and mother, that’s a big thing. If you’re single and you’re using your time and energy to serve others, that’s a big thing.
The best way to serve and honor God is to love and serve other people. Those other people are your family members, your Christian brethren, your friends and neighbors and co-workers. Get to know them well enough to see if they have a problem you can help them with. Also, please don’t devalue prayer as the most effective way ‘you’ can help someone. Going to throne of grace is the most important thing you can ever do for anyone. Prayer is not the last resort, it is the first.
Evaluate yourself and your gifts. Begin to seek the Lord in prayer and meditation, asking if there is something else He wants you to do. David helped his king and his country by slaying a giant who was blaspheming God. Maybe God wants you to help someone slay some other kind of giant—like an addiction or a depression or a debt problem. Let your sanctified imagination run wild. Maybe the Lord Jesus Christ would have you continue what you’re doing, or maybe He would send you in a different direction. Only He knows, and the closer your communion is with Him, the more apt you are to find it out.
Share the Message
When you are rejoicing in the Lord daily, and when you are imagining what He wants you to do, you then will be in a better position to share the message of Christ every day. If you’ve been a Christian very long, you know the age-old debate is whether Christians can best proclaim Christ by the way they live, or by what they say. In other words, should believers simply live for Christ and not share the Gospel message verbally, or should they do both?
I think you see the best answer coming, don’t you. Yes, it takes both. It would be pointless to share the Gospel with someone without also living a life that reflects the character of Christ. Likewise, it would be ineffective to try to live a visible Christian life and never talk about Jesus Christ as the only way, truth, and life.
That great preacher and seminary professor, Howard Hendricks, put it this way. When people ask him if they should witness for Christ by living a good life, or by talking to people about Christ, he asks them this question. “How far will an airplane fly without both wings? Would you want to lose the right wing or the left wing?” The point is that it is the same with witnessing for Christ. You must walk the walk and talk the talk.
Again, if you are joyful, and if you are seeking to live in the center of God’s will for you, then your life will powerfully lead to opportunities to share the message of Christ. He says of Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” You have been given the privilege of being able to share that message with others.
I’m not saying that you have to become a Bible scholar, or that you need to be a professional minister. However, you can pray for grace, strength, and opportunities to proclaim Christ and to show people from the Bible that He is the remedy for sin and condemnation.
I am saying that we need to keep things simple when we share the Gospel, or when we come to do anything in life. Simpler is better! Many people call this the KISS principle. That stands for Keep It Super Simple. Therefore, how do you apply that principle to your life?
Keep It Simple!
Do you ever encounter people who, when you ask them a question, give you way too much information? We all do. So how can we avoid getting bogged down in details, especially when it comes to sharing the message of Christ? How can we stop blasting people with all we believe in one short session? How can we organize and hone what we will say about Jesus Christ
1. Find yourself a Gospel presentation system that works for you, or design your own. There are lots of good books and programs out there to help you learn how to simply and clearly share the Gospel.
2. Get familiar with the basic verses that deal with man’s sin and judgment, Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross, and how God applies that salvation to people. Memorize these verses and meditate on them.
3. Practice sharing these truths by role playing in your mind, or by rehearsing with a fellow Christian or family member.
4. Please remember that every person you encounter has a unique story or set of circumstances. There is not a single presentation system that works in every situation and with everyone. Customize your words and actions to fit the person.
5. Never forget that you don’t necessarily have to unload the whole Gospel story on someone all at one time. Take your time. Get to know people. Share a little bit of the truth now and then, as it feels comfortable. Ask questions and get to know what a person thinks and feels. In other words, plant seeds of Gospel truth. Maybe someone else will water those seeds, and God will give the harvest. Or maybe you will water those seeds over time, and plant more seeds.
6. Always pray for the people God has placed in your life who do not know Christ as Savior. This probably should be number one in the list. If you and I do not pray for these people, and seek God the Holy Spirit to open their hearts and minds, it will be like walking through a cemetery and trying to wake the dead. People without Christ are “dead in their trespasses and sins,” according to Ephesians 2:1. So pray constantly for the lost, and for opportunities to get to know them and love them. Pray that God will “make them alive in Christ,” as it is explained in Ephesians 2:5-6.
7. Remember that there are other things to share with people in addition to the Gospel message. We can feed the hungry, help the homeless, care for the sick, be there for the troubled, and give or our time and resources. We might even be able to share our business and professional talents with people. Many people in this world, even Christians, need a mentor. Maybe you could be that mentor, that coach, for someone.
Of course, I could be a lot more specific here about how to keep things simple. But then I would be violating my own rule of keeping it simple. So I’ll let you work out the details.
Let’s RISK It
Having considered these things, let’s reflect on these questions. Does the world need people who are rejoicing in the Lord regardless of their situation? Does our land need people who are seeking the Lord to help them reach their full potential? Do we all need to share the message of Christ, as God gives us ability and opportunity to do so? Do we need to keep things simple, so wedon’t get bogged down in the details of life?
If you answered those questions the way I hope you did, then you are ready to live a life of RISK for the triune God. All great saints strove to live this way. David took risks for the Lord, but as we observed at the beginning of this article, he knew it was a calculated risk, based on the power and love of God. The Apostle Paul took a risk every time he got out of bed and went to proclaim Christ and build churches. Yet he did it, and he did it boldly. How could he do that with the threat of death hanging over his head every minute?
Let me conclude by quoting the words of Paul in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Notice the combination of ideas in that verse. Who does the “all things?” You do. But who gives you the strength to do it? Jesus Christ strengthens you as you do what He has called you to do.
What an exciting way to live—with purpose and with focus on Christ Jesus our Lord. When you and I realize that God is working in us to accomplish His holy purposes (Romans 8:28), then it puts a blessing on everything we do that is righteous. As one of the characters in the movie Chariots of Fire told Eric Liddel, “You can peel a potato to the glory of God, if you peel it to perfection.” There is no work too small in God’s kingdom, so start where you are, start today, and God will bless and strengthen you!
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