Risk Reward

Have you ever heard the phrase Risk/Reward?  Of course you have.  These are two words that are commonly put together in our world.At TPC Sawgrass (a golf course) there are a group of 3 holes that are known as three of the greatest risk/reward holes in all of golf.  In short, you are able to score really well on these three holes, but only if you take great risk in order to do so.  The down side of this is that you can also make a really bad score on these holes as well by doing the exact same thing.Risk is something that when we try and define it in our lives begins to come up with a number of different definitions...Some common words or phrases that we like to define or associate with risk as are: Fear, Chance, Luck, Gamble, Danger, among others.We experience and deal with risk in most areas of our lives.  Whether it is our love life, our work life, our family life or our personal life.  We calculate it in our heads carefully and normally we talk ourselves out of doing things that involve too much risk or enact change from the normal.I had the privilege of hearing a great speaker this week that spoke about these decisions and risk calculating in the concept of 5 seconds.  Her point was that you have 5 seconds to make the decision before your mind talks you out of doing something that may involve risk.  Think about skydiving, or quitting your job, or moving cities from where you have lived your whole life.  They are risks, but ultimately they can provide great reward and/or satisfaction.  If you just jump out of the plane, write the resignation letter, or pack your bags, then great things can come from it.  Could bad things come from it as well?  Yes.  But how will you ever know if you don't make the jump?I thought through this and realized that there were a number of people in the Bible that took risks.  The disciples all took a risk by following Jesus.  Noah took a risk by building that Ark.  Moses took a risk by going back into Egypt.  I could go on an on about these individuals, but the commonality between all of these people, is that they heard from God and/or Jesus and they were following His lead.Its not really a risk if know the outcome and God knows the outcome.  Its like going back in your life and telling your younger self to just go ahead and get in the pool to learn how to swim, or to not be afraid of riding the bike for the first time.  If you never get in the pool you will never learn how to swim.Now don't get me wrong here.  I'm not saying to go out and do as many risky things as you can think of.  You should still think through it, and do your due diligence, but ultimately you will get that feeling inside of you that gives you a peace or urges you to do something.  I'm just saying that when that feeling comes upon you to take action and not allow our desire not to change to take over.Risk is a good thing.  Could you fail? Yes.  But I also believe that if you are following our God and trusting in Jesus that it is impossible to fail.  God is very clear that He works for our good (Romans 8:28) and whether that looks like success or failure in our lives, God is bigger than that and continues to work through us.So go ahead, take a risk, jump in the pool!  Know that God knows what the outcome is.