“You need a robust view of risk if you’re going to live a robust life of faith. . . . You take risks all the time — the trick is to get really good at identifying the risks that God is putting in front of you. The risks you take on God himself are the ones that will turn your foundation to rock.”- Alli Patterson
In Chapter 11 (“From Risk to Rock”) of How to Stay Standing, Alli Patterson stresses that risk isn’t a personality trait. Rather, risk is a skill you can learn, strengthen, and grow. Above all, it’s something you must do. Because risk functions as an essential part of living out the three rhythms of coming to Jesus, hearing his Word, and putting it into practice.
Most significantly, Alli notes, your spiritual life lives or dies based on your ability to see and take risks on God. Furthermore, when you work with an underdeveloped view of risk, it keeps you on shifting ground. Also, failing to expect risks to come makes them harder to face when they confront you.
Hence, Alli exhorts:
“Your faith in action looks like your willingness to risk something on God. . . . With each risk, you gather the evidence God is there, he is gracious, and he is true to his Word. As you begin to come, hear, and practice, God loves even the tiniest risk. . . .
Whatever your risks are, I promise you this: God is going to prove himself faithful. Give him the chance to show you. He is good enough to show patience with your doubt and do something huge in your life with the smallest speck of faith.”
In conclusion, Alli underscores, manage risk by the grace of God and through countless battles with doubt. And don’t sweat your doubt. For you don’t need to be sure of the outcome. Instead, you need to be sure of your God.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you develop or sustain a robust view of risk? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The shocking grace from God”
