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

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.