When has your faith become “risky business?” Is it more synonymous with comfortable? Safe? Being well? We don’t intentionally desire to end up like the apostle John, banished for life to a remote island. Heaven forbid we duplicate Peter’s fate of being martyred, crucified – upside down or not. The fact is, exercising faith for us “average” Americans is well, a pretty “average” experience. For most of us, the cost hasn’t been much.

Take a look at Hebrews 11. Now there’s some folks who paid in full. (BTW, did you know the New Testament word we use for witness and the word for martyr are from the same root?) Many never lived to see the fulfillment of the promise of their faith. How many times have you prayed for God to keep you “safe” rather than simply pray to be in God’s will? Topping that, have you ever heard “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will?” Sports fans, “safe” is not what it’s all about. Ask those martyrs when you meet them.

But what about now? How can we develop a more “risky” faith? Start small. Seriously ask God to present opportunities to you and that you would have the eyes and ears to recognize them. Step out of your comfort zone a little at a time. Build on small successes. Only a fool would attempt to begin to learn to drive a stick shift car in noontime Atlanta traffic. Get my point? Be prayerful. Don’t feel you need to reach beyond your God given ability and knowledge. Create partnerships to help in your accountability and for the joy of company doing God’s exploits which may be outside your “safe” zone.

Erwin McManus makes many excellent comments in his book, The Barbarian Way. Among those is “The closer you walk with Christ, the greater the faith required. The more you trust Him, the more you’ll risk on His behalf.” Let’s not just grow older, let’s grow bolder!!