A wise friend, recently said, “Life is messy,” and it is. Life is full of risk and with that comes consequences. To love means to risk.  To follow after Christ involves risk.  We are called to risk for his sake and for the sake of his kingdom.  To be asked to “pick up our cross and follow him, or to be willing to follow his example and lay down our lives for another, certainly is risky.  We are called to risk.

   As human beings, it is common for us to have strategies in place to help us manage risk.  Some may be unique to each one of us, but each of us have the same basic plan to avoid unpleasant outcomes.  As believers in Christ, how is it that we are to deal with situations that have associated risk?

     There are basic risk management strategies, and most of them include these options: (1) Avoiding the risk (2) Transferring the risk to another (3) Reducing the negative effect of the risk (4) Accepting all or some of the consequences of a particular risk.  As Christians we too adopt many of these strategies when we are deciding to follow Christ into areas of risk.  Avoiding the risk, by saying to him, “I’m not qualified or gifted that way”, or just by saying no.  Many times we want to reduce the risk by having safety nets in place, and the majority of the time we are not willing to accept the consequences of the risk.

     As Christians however, if we believe by faith, that Christ is calling us to take a particular risk for him, we do not need to worry.  God will take care of the risk management.  Our responsibility is to respond by faith, and to take steps putting one foot in front of the other in obedience to that call.  Proverbs 3:5 and following says, Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not unto your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.

     What kind of risk management strategy do you follow?

 Picture: Risk, by Heart of Oak