Risk Assessment - Ananias

“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”

Acts 9:13-14

If you have ever started a new business or expanded an established one, you know the importance of risk assessment. Simply put, that means examining the risks involved in launching a new venture and determining whether the payoff is worth the risk.

Ananias, a prominent believer living in Damascus, once received a very risky command from God and had to decide what he would do about it.

God had given Ananias an assignment that made him very uncomfortable. He was to look after Saul, a young Pharisee notorious for his cruel treatment of Christians in Jerusalem. Ananias knew Saul as a sworn enemy of the church. His sole purpose in coming to Damascus had been to persecute him and other believers.

Ananias must have wondered if God was talking about the same Saul he had been hearing about.

Just to find out, Ananias reminded God of the terrible things Saul had done to believers in Jerusalem. Saul was even authorized to arrest Christians, but God didn’t relent. He intended for Saul to take his message of salvation to both Gentiles and Jews (see Acts 9:15).

Ananias knew the risks of reaching out to a man like Saul. Nevertheless, he was confident that God knew what he was doing and had a good purpose for bringing Saul to Damascus. This overshadowed his trepidation.

Ananias weighed the risks and knew that the benefits of obedience far outweighed anything he feared. Because he obeyed, he was able to play a supporting role in God’s plan to spread the gospel throughout the world.

God may one day call you to do something that seems risky to your human thinking. When you have the faith to understand that God is in control and has your path mapped out, you can confidently go wherever he calls you, knowing that he has your best interests in mind.