Question 1

Why do people take risks?

Accepted Answer

2 Kings 7:3-4Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”Sometimes, like these lepers in Samaria, we take risks out of desperation.Ecclesiastes 11:1-4Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls. Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.Sometimes we take risks because of the potential rewards.Matthew 25:14-18, 26-29“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. . . . the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”Sometimes we take risks because we know that is wat is expected of us.Hebrews 11:8-10It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.Sometimes we take risks because of our faith in God and his plans for us.

Question 2

What kinds of risks should Christians take?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 12:1The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.”Exodus 3:10-11; 4:29-31“Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” . . . Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.Exodus 14:3, 21-22“Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’” . . . Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!We should take any risks necessary for fully obeying God.Numbers 14:6-9Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”We should be prepared to risk our resources, our reputations, and even our closest relationships to be faithful to God. Joshua and Caleb, unlike the other spies, were willing to risk all because they trusted God’s promises above the human risks. The only action riskier than trusting God is not trusting him!1 Kings 18:30-39Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. . . . Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”We may be called to take risks to help display the glory of God. Such was the case with Elijah on Mount Carmel. We must be certain that we are following God, or we may make a mockery of our faith and harm others. But when God’s call is clear, we should move forward with confidence.Luke 5:4-7When he [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, we’ll try again.” And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.Some risks may appear to be foolish or contrary to our experience when we feel led by the Lord. Such risks, done in obedience, will yield rich rewards.Luke 6:22-23“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.”Acts 5:41The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.We may face rejection and the loss of security as we follow Jesus, but the rewards of loyalty to God are eternal.Matthew 26:39He [Jesus] went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”Luke 5:10-11His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.We must be willing to risk doing what is right, even when it is difficult and costly. Sometimes God calls his people to lay down everything—in some cases, even their lives—to follow him.Exodus 3:10-11“Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”Luke 1:38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.We must take the risk of living God’s way. When God asks us to follow him, he often doesn’t tell us the reasons and results. When we step out in faith, he guides us as we go. Moses risked his life by approaching Pharaoh and leading the Israelites out of captivity. Mary risked her marriage, her reputation, and her future by becoming the mother of Jesus. Following God’s will is not without risks but it also comes with great rewards.

Question 3

What are some risk-taking principles I should keep in mind?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.Proverbs 28:26Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.Ecclesiastes 10:13Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness.We should not take risks that ignore or contradict sound principles. Consulting God and wise godly friends before taking big steps in life provides a higher chance of success.Joshua 8:1Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.”1 Chronicles 28:20David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.”We should not fear failure. The only true failure is one that utterly defeats us and makes us unable to try again. Failure wins when we accept defeat and give up. After Joshua and his army were defeated at Ai, he dealt with the causes of defeat head-on and then led his army out once again into the danger of battle, winning a great victory. We must have the courage to face failure and take risks again. The lessons we learn from our failures will help us learn to assess risk in the future. Yesterday’s failures can turn into tomorrow’s victories.

Question 4

What risks are involved when we faithfully follow Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 10:34-36“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household!’”When we fully follow Jesus, we may risk losing close relationships with people who cannot understand our faith and commitment.1 Peter 2:21God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.1 Peter 4:1Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.When we fully follow Jesus, we may risk persecution, suffering physically for our faith.Hebrews 11:35-38Others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.Revelation 6:9When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony.When we fully follow Jesus, we may even risk dying for our faith.

Risk