RISK

I’m writing in response to my Pastor’s sermon series on Risk. He has spoken nothing but the truth and some of it has made me squirm in my seat. (more than I want to admit to) Pastor asked questions that made me reflect on my life and my walk with God. What kind of, if one at all, legacy am I leaving?
          What is Risk? Why does it matter or does it matter? According to dictionary.com risk is exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous chance. Do we live dangerously for God? Are we willing to give up our comforts to bring someone into God’s kingdom? We as Christians, especially ME, like our comfort zones. We forget that it’s not all about us; we are to be second…not first. We find the “perfect” church, the “perfect” Sunday school class, the “perfect” pew and stay right there. We have “perfect” lives and go about our days being “Christ-like” yet we never step out of our daily routine long enough to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are lazy, comfortable, and afraid. We are too afraid of the ridicule that comes from always speaking about Jesus. We are too afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. We are too afraid of losing our job. If you know Jesus as your savior then can you go wrong by sharing Him with others? So, you might lose some friends. Yes, it will hurt, but your rewards for following Jesus are far better. Ok, you step on toes and hurt feelings; again Jesus has a far better reward in store for you than worrying about how others feel about you because you shared Him with them. Would you rather upset them here and give them the opportunity to have eternal life or would you rather keep them happy here on earth? My friends Heaven and Hell are real! I want to see ALL of my family and friends in Heaven. I’m sure you do too. The only way to know for sure is to risk your relationship and ask the hard question: Do you know Jesus as your personal savior? Pastor asked something along the lines today, how would your neighbor feel about you if He was in Hell and saw you in Heaven and he realized you knew about the treasure of eternal life but you didn’t share it with him? Well, hello!! Slap in the face…have ya thought of it that way? I sure haven’t.
         Today, I’ve thought a lot about my comfort zone, my risks, and where I could do more. Sadly, my where I could do more and my comfort zone lists far out numbers my risks list. A verse from Philippians kept coming to mind. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NIV) What would happen if I started living my life like this? Can I , could I, will I RISK my life, my reputation to bring others to Christ? It’s hard to get out of our routines, out of our comfort zones but is it worth it? I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being comfortable and letting people think my life is perfect. My life hasn’t been perfect, nor is it perfect; I’m not perfect and never will be. That is why I need Jesus and that is why I need to share Him with others.  It’s time for me to RISK a lot more. What about you? Will you say this prayer if you feel lead to…
 Dear Lord,
 I want to RISK it ALL for you. Please show me where to start. Make me more aware of my surroundings. Give me your eyes and ears. Help me to serve others and shine your light in this dark world. Help me to be OK with the title of “Church goer” or “Jesus Freak”. I want to serve you God. Help me to RISK it ALL so others may come to know you as their Savior. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

What will you RISK for Jesus? Does taking a RISK matter? What's your legacy?
Until next time, “May Yahweh bless you and protect you.” (Numbers 6:24, HCSB)

Weird

Have you ever been accused of being weird? How about explaining an event that just occurred as being weird? I would answer YES to both.
Yes, because I have been called weird. ( I know shocking! :) ) Yes, because there have been times; especially lately, when weird is the only word I can use to describe the events that have taken place in my life. Before I go any further let me give you the definition of weird. According to dictionary.com weird means involving or suggesting the supernatural and unearthly.
I’m glad to know that I haven’t been using this word wrong at least not lately. I've been using the word to describe my prayers being answered. I’ll give you an example. I prayed on Friday night in November if God wanted me to start speaking that He would open a door, even a small door. The following Sunday a lady from my Sunday school class asked me to speak in a couple of weeks at a ladies gathering. Then, on Monday a friend emailed me asking me to speak at a Christmas party she was having. Following the events I would tell my friends, “This is weird but guess what happened.” I’m not sure what you think, but I would definitely say that particular event was supernatural. Have you had a “weird” situation happen to you?
As far as being called weird, well, I would take that as a compliment. If being weird means you are behaving in a supernatural or unearthly way, then you could say you are allowing Jesus to live in you. John 15:18-19 says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (NIV) I’m not saying people hate you but when someone calls you weird it can sure feel that way. My take is this, since as a child of God we do not belong to the world then we are “unearthly”. So we are weird! Why not take the risk and be WEIRD all the time? If someone says you’re weird, proudly say THANK YOU. I have started being ok with people calling me weird, but now I’m going to consider it an honor to be labeled as weird.  I wanted to give you something to think on…just a few of my thoughts about being weird. Until next time, BE WEIRD and “May Yahweh bless you and protect you.” (Numbers 6:24, HCSB)