Risky behavior
February 3, 2009 | Ministry Life
Taking risks is scary Larry stuff. What if I fail? What if I look stupid? What if I open up my life again and someone hurts me all over again? What if I fall flat on my face?
And yet if we don’t take calculated risks, we can live our entire life stuck. Not by anybody else’s choices, though it’s convenient to blame them, but by our own lack of trust.
I’m not speaking from a perspective of absolute confidence. I’m sharing from the heart of a woman who has had to been privileged to live this way my entire life.
Last week was a great example. I spoke at First Baptist Church in Geneva, Illinois, about an hour away from Chicago. The first night was a parents night and the topic was Five Reasons a Teen Might Not Talk.
Maybe it was the hectic trip or the fact that I changed my notes as I sat in the airport. Maybe it was an off night, but I realized half-way through that things weren’t going the way I hoped. Please don’t try to encourage me here or let me know what I may have done right. This is the deal. We all have those moments. The sinking feeling when you think, “what’s going on here?”.
I was prepared. I had prayed. My heart was in that room with the moms and dads of teens. The information was solid. But it just wasn’t what I hoped it would be.
That night I went back to my room and I talked to God about it first, and then I pulled out my notes for the next day. I checked my Powerpoint, and my video. I prayed again.
And then it hit me. I hadn’t trusted what was on my heart. I was tied anchored to my notes. I revamped my Powerpoint, tore up my notes, and the next day stepped on the stage in front of the large crowd of women and shared from my heart.
You see, I knew my stuff. From experience. From life. From Scripture. By throwing out my notes I was able to relate to the people in front of me. When I compare Wednesday night with Thursday morning, it could have been two different people on the stage.
Why am I telling you this? Every time I speak, it’s a risk. It can plummet and I can fall flat on my face. That doesn’t happen often but when it does a speaker remembers. It can cause you to question if you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing. It can create doubt, fear.
Or you can take a step back and learn from it, which makes us stronger.
Whether it’s speaking or loving again or believing in God or taking a step of faith in a new direction, failure just might be a part of the equation. But the risk is worth it if God is in it and it lines up with His direction or instructions, and we gain new insight from it.
We learn to get back up and run again.
I’m a note-using speaker because it’s my safety net. But I learned something last week. Notes have been my comfort zone and it’s time to take yet one more calculated risk as I trust in the message and the One who gave it to me.
What is God asking you to do? What is that next step? What has been keeping you from taking it?
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Just came over from the P31 devo. Thank you! I have tears because your words went straight to my heart. This passage is one that God’s been reminding me of quite often and the words you shared were ones I could relate to. It is all about stepping out in faith, thanks for encouraging me to do that very thing!
February 6th, 2009 at 8:51 amBlessings,
Jill
I’m here from the P31 devotional, too. Great & timely for me as I’m getting ready to launch my business on an etsy site. The work seems overwhelming sometimes and the whole bit scary.
Thanks!
February 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pmThank you so much, Suzie! I am going to be part of a women’s retreat starting tonight at my church, and I am slated to be one of the “conversations” speakers. I’ve been sick all week, and it would be so justified to say, “Sorry, I can’t be there! I’m still sick!” But I know that if I did, God would simply walk on without me. I so want to be where he is, and I know that tonight he’ll be right there beside me as I speak about his work in my life. Testimony— our talk about his work. Easy peasy, and I’ll go for it because your words were so timely. Thank you so much!
February 6th, 2009 at 2:09 pmSuzi (Ps – it startled me to see my name in the middle of the article, just like you were talking to me!!)
I came from the devotional as well and it really hit home for me. I’ve always been afraid of…well…everything and always allowed that fear to hold me back from…well…everything. Not anymore…3 months ago, with the help from my husband, my pastor’s wife, and mainly God, I’m starting to take those steps to break of of the bondage of fear. It doesn’t mean the fear and doubts don’t still return and try to stop me, but as the Casting Crown song “Voice of Truth” states, I listen to God. He’s my strength and fortress. Thank you so much for sharing and all your wonderful devotionals! You are truly a daughter of God!
February 6th, 2009 at 3:30 pmWow, I came across this at exactly the right time! God amazes me! I don’t want to believe what I think I’m hearing God tell me about who I am becoming- it both excites me and freaks me out. But God won’t allow me to hide anymore. And He lets me know that I am not the one designing this plan, so I cannot possibly fail, which is a comfort. I just wanted to say thanks to you for saying yes to God and having this website available. I think I’ll look around a little more.
February 7th, 2009 at 1:57 amI have such a deep longing in my heart to encourage other women with what God has brought me through in my life. I would love to be able to do this through writing and speaking, but as hard as I try, I seem to be to paralyzed by fear to even take the first step.The Lord is so faithful and He has delivered me from much, I know that He will carry me through this too! I have been so encouraged by P31 and I know that with God All things are possible! Thank you for your much needed encouragement!!
February 7th, 2009 at 10:49 amThank you so much for this devotional! I know that God is using you to bless others. One of the risks I recently took was taking over my nephew’s Kindergarten Sabbath School class. The pastor’s wife was teaching, but he was called to pastor elsewhere. While I sat in the class with my 5-year old nephew, praying for the future teacher to come along soon, God spoke to my heart and told me to teach. I argued back that I have no children, I wasn’t a member of that church (but another in town), and I’m a full time working nurse with no extra time for lesson planning, which I have also never done. He was not concerned with that argument and empowered me to do it just because He asked me to.
February 9th, 2009 at 10:43 amThat was in September and He has blessed me so much in the 5 1/2 months since then! The class has grown. I have been encouraged and complimented and given all of the glory to Him.
If you had told me 6 months ago that I would have taken this risk, I would have thought you were kidding.
When we step out and risk what God is asking us to do, it does kinda feel like walking on the waves towards our loving Saviour.
God bless your ministry!
Aunt Jenn