Risk

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot

So - how far can you go? How far can your risk travel take you? To the moon, to new galaxies, to infinity and beyond? Or is your risk travel just a short and safe trip, nothing more than a walk around the block or a quick stop at the corner store for bread and milk? Is that the extent of the risk - and faith - in your life?

How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to risk?

Do you want to walk on water? Or are you to afraid to leave the safe and secure confines of the boat?

Doing great things for God involves great risks. Walking on water means stepping out of the boat, risking the danger of the howling wind and the crashing waves, and marching to where Jesus stands, waiting for you.

But are you willing to do it? Is your faith even at the tiny, little mustard seed level yet?

When you take a risk, and step out in faith, and attempt to do great things for God, then remember this: you are now partnering with the One "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)

God knows exactly how far you can go (and it's a lot farther than you think), and what incredible things you can do for Him during your short time here on Earth, but He needs to know a couple of things: are you willing to risk going too far - for Him? Are you willing to find out how far you can go - for Him?

He's waiting to hear from you. He wants to know what you think, and where you're ready to go.

Pencils in the Hand of God

Mother Teresa once said, "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

In 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul says to the church in Corinth, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

So what is God writing to the world, using you as the writing instrument?

Is He writing a love letter, a missive full of joy and blessing to a hurting world? Is what He is writing to the world, using you as the instrument, a card overflowing with His grace and mercy and love and compassion? Is that what others read when they receive His card, written using you as the instrument?

Or has the point of your pencil worn down to a dull nub? Or has your inkwell gone dry? Is God trying to use you as an instrument of His love, but everytime He tries to use you, no one can see or read or understand His message?

What message from God do others receive when they hear from you? Is it a message full of His love, mercy, and grace - or is it a message full of criticism, judgmentalism, and scorn? One message is written with the blood of Christ. The other is written with the venom of man.

We are all pencils in the hand of God, and that should be an exhilarating thing, because it means that God can use us to communicate to the world and to change the world.

That's an awesome privilege for a little pencil to have.

Out of the Comfort Zone

Sometimes when we are the least comfortable, we also are the most productive for God.

Many people hold the mistaken belief that once they become a follower of Christ, then life becomes as soft and cushy as a La-Z-Boy recliner.

But it ain't so.

The Apostle Paul is Exhibit A here. Just read his words in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, when he says, "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."

Paul faced a post-conversion life full of prison, floggings, lashes, shipwrecks, bandits, sleep deprivation, hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness. His post-conversion life was not one full of prosperity. Paul wasn't living the high life.

But it jives with what Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:12-13, when he says, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

And it follows what Jesus said in Luke 6:24: "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort."

Jesus wants you to get out of your comfort zone.

Are you following Christ, loving others, serving others, and still finding your life to be painfully uncomfortable? Don't get down. God is watching you. He sees what you are doing. He knows how tough it is for you. And He will bless you for it - if not here on earth, then in heaven. And we know that He's promised never to leave you or forsake you.

Some of the most fruitful things we will ever do in service to the Lord may come in some of the most uncomfortable moments of our lives here on earth - in the times when we have left our comfort zone, and when we are relying on God, and God alone.