Faith – spelt RISK…….. not-Maybe…..

I sometimes (too often indeed) instead of heeding the call to move out of my crystalised Christian comfort zone look glumly at the possibility of getting it wrong if I did….asking maybe I’ve heard wrongly….maybe I should hold back….maybe this isn’t such a good idea….maybe it’s the wrong time….maybe I’ll make matters worse…maybe….maybe ……maybe?

 

Recently I read of a promising 12-year-old athlete who went to a sports psychologist for help. She had all the skills of a future Olympic medalist, yet never seemed to live up to her potential. The psychologist handed her four darts and instructed her to toss them at a target across the office.

 

She looked at him nervously and asked, “What if I miss?”

 

Those four words kept her from reaching her potential. Instead of focusing on how to run and win the race, instead of focusing on how to succeed, she worried about how to keep from failing.

 

Faith is spelt RISK. The young athlete needed to trust her skills and not allow FEAR to stop her. Fear contends against faith. Fear is the destructive force and controlling weapon of Satan. We are told to live by faith… because we TRUST not in ourselves but in Him who is trustworthy.

 

I think Mike Yaconelli understood this when he wrote, ”I want a lifetime of holy moments. Every day I want to be in dangerous proximity to Jesus. I long for a life that explodes with meaning and is filled with adventure, wonder, risk, and danger. I long for a faith that is gloriously treacherous. I want to be with Jesus, not knowing whether to cry or laugh…………I want to be “dangerous” to a dull and boring religion. I want a faith that is considered “dangerous” by our predictable and monotonous culture…..”

 

Come on…..are you going to risk it? I certainly am….and no ‘maybe’s’ allowed!

 

 

Michael Daly. C.J.

September 2011