âWe walk by faith, not by sightâ (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV).
There is no faith without risk.
Faith means stepping out into the unknown when you donât know whatâs even in the unknown. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, âWe walk by faith, not by sightâ (ESV). That means we walk while looking with spiritual eyes, not physical eyes. We look from Godâs point of view, not from a human point of view.
Faith is letting go of your security. Faith is saying, âIâm going to face my fears. Iâm going to risk failure. Iâm going to dare to move forward.â
When my kids were young, I took them to the circus. My favorite part was watching the trapeze artists. One of them would swing out, and then another would leave his platform. Then thereâs the moment of truth, when the trapeze artist has to make a decision: âIf Iâm going to grab on to the other guy, Iâm going to have to let go of this trapeze. Do I let go of the security of one to grab hold of the security of the other?â
Of course, he doesnât have all day to think about it. If he waits until ânext time,â then heâll go back, and every swing will be a little farther away from his goal. Pretty soon, heâll come to a standstill and be stuck. There is no time for indecision.
Itâs the same with faith. If you want to grow as a follower of Jesus, youâve got to take a risk. When Peter walked on water, he first had to get out of the boat. You have to leave the safety of what youâve always known for the safety of Godâs purpose. Youâve got to let go and grab ahold of Godâs best for you.
Faith is risking the failure. Itâs making the investment of time, money, energy, or reputation, knowing that you donât have to fear the unknown or what will happen if you canât do it on your own. When youâre motivated by faith rather than fear, God can do something awesome through you.
Talk It Over
What risk have you been unwilling to take because of a fear of failure?
What securities in life keep you from taking a risk to reach your best life?
How have you grown closer to Jesus through a specific step of faith?
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This devotional © 2019 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.