Risk Free or Free to Risk

I was wading through some old files the other day while in the process of reformatting my computers (with Matt James’ help) and stumbled across something I had written about a month before we moved downtown. I thought it was appropriate New Year’s fodder, so here it is… Happy 2006!

English is a funny language. Our contemporary language is full of oxymora like "working vacation", "virtual reality", "instant classic". How about "pretty ugly"? Strange, huh? That's why they are called oxy - "morons".
 
An oxymoron that is important to where we're at is "fail-safe". When something is fail-safe, it's guaranteed to work.
 
I think it is important to understand, believe, and accept that the journey we are on is not fail-safe. There are no guarantees of success. I can't promise that we are going to achieve our dream of starting a new church downtown. Failure is a very real possibility.
 
There. I said it. And it feels good.
 
There are a number of reasons that I think are vital for all of us to buy into this notion of potential failure.
 
1. We need to be realistic. Most of the businesses that fail are new businesses. Same with churches. Experience shows that lots of new church plants don't survive. There is real risk in start up, and we need to understand that.
 
2. We need a better theology. Much of our understanding of how God works in our lives is warped by 'fail-safe' thinking. We have been taught that whenever God is in something there is no chance for failure. If that were true, then the corollary would be that everything that fails is not of God. That is a dodgy assumption verging on the fallacious.

While it is true that God is victorious and through the cross Satan has been defeated, we are still in the midst of the battle (pardon the warfare analogy). We know who wins the war, but there still is a lot of serious fighting to be done. And as in any battle, there is serious risk of injury and even death. This death can be the death of a vision or a dream, or it can even be physical death, as in martyrdom. Just re-read the story of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3, especially verses 16 - 18, or check out all the good guys that died as listed in Hebrews 11:36-39. Even the great Apostle Paul wasn't able to accomplish everything God put on his heart - read 1 Thessalonians 2:18. (He got killed in the end, too!)
 
So don't give me the line that "If it's God's will, it will all work out." That is just fatalistic naivety and syrupy sentiment! Grow up. Biblical Christians don't think that way.
 
3. The risk of failure makes us better. Because I know we can fail, I need to be committed to pursuing our mission full-heartedly! I'm going to pray more desperately and work more fervently. There are no guarantees, so I'm responsible to give it my best shot. I know this is God's will, so I'm going to give my life to see it fulfilled. It's not going to be painless, but sacrificing for the cause of Christ brings great glory to God, shapes my character, provides the context for incredible miracles, and gives meaning to my life. Even if it hurts.
 
There is a myth that says the safest place to be is in the center of the will of God. I don't think the intent of that statement is necessarily wrong, but it is misleading because doing what God wants isn't always safe. The purposes of His Kingdom trumps our desire for comfort or success. As Erwin McManus says, the center of God's will is not a safe place, but the most dangerous place in the world. God fears nothing and no one. God moves with intentionality and power. To live outside of God's will puts us in danger, but to live in His will makes us dangerous!
 
We are on this journey, not because it is risk-free, but because through Christ we are free to risk! We are called to obedience, not “success”. I'm tired of being a Christian 'nice guy'. It's time to take some risks, move with God, and through Him be dangerous! Even if it costs us our lives.